The music of the 1950s includes numerous female artists who are renowned to this day. While some performers thrived and were added to the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, other performers were quite popular but then seemed to disappear from the music scene altogether.
What a Difference a Day Makes: Women Who Conquered 1950s Music is a companion volume to All I Want is Loving You, which are both written by Steve Bergsman. This book delved into the stories of singers such as Margie Day, Helen Humes, Jewel King, Savannah Churchill, and more, detailing the successes and challenges of these performers.
This book offers a scholarly perspective on how many of these singers were marketed to audiences, for better or worse. Their work was presented to audiences in ways that did not reflect that of their white counterparts in ways far beyond marketing. In other cases, lyrics were adjusted deliberately depending on the singer. Moreover, publicity for these individuals varied immensely.
This book will be of interest to fans of popular 1950s music alongside its sister volume.
What a Difference a Day Makes: Women Who Conquered 1950s Music is available for purchase via the University Press of Mississippi.
Hometowns to Hollywood 