Though he modestly called himself a “saloon singer,” Bobby Short was widely considered the world’s greatest cabaret entertainer. This site explores the life and work of a true original whose legacy lives on…
Most Recent Postings:
- Bobby Short estate gives gift to Danville Area Community College (Commercial-News, 10/5/06)
- Spotlight shines on Short again (Commercial-News, 4/8/06)
- Danville auction to feature Short’s property (Commercial-News, 3/26/06)
- Short never forgot his roots in Danville (Commercial-News, 2/18/06)
- Short’s Friends Applaud Auction , although Bids Soar Beyond Danville Means (both stories from Commercial-News, 2/17/06).
- Christie’s will auction the personal property of Bobby Short on February 16, 2006. The Christie’s website lists the complete contents and also sells an attractive printed version of the catalog. An article about the auction also appeared in the Danville Commercial-News.
- Hometown son set standard as gentleman, pianist (Commercial-News 12/29/05).
Remembering Bobby Short:
Bobby Short was scheduled to receive the Illinois Arts Legend Award in Chicago on April 15, 2005 and, the following day, was to be honored with a tribute in his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Sadly, he died of leukemia at age 80 on March 21, 2005, just weeks before he could attend these events.
It was my pleasure to meet Bobby Short on two occasions: during his 2001 visit to Danville, when he was recognized for his work with the Danville Community Public School Foundation; and in June 2003 at the Ravinia Festival outside Chicago, when I finally saw him perform. He was gracious and kind each time, and his memory was excellent: on our second meeting he remembered everything my wife and I had told him about ourselves two years earlier.
Record producer Nesuhi Ertegun once noted: “If the Library of Congress is interested in American culture, Bobby Short should be asked to record his entire repertoire; this would constitute a unique document and would be listened to for centuries to come.” Indeed, Bobby’s career spanned almost 70 years and his catalog consisted of hundreds of songs. Fortunately he left us with a large body of recorded music that will be enjoyed and appreciated for many years. And in Danville, Bobby Short will be remembered just as much for his philanthropic work and hometown pride.
News Articles on the Death of Bobby Short:
NOTE: Many of the links below are to New York Times articles. The Times website requires registration, which is free, but also charges fees for certain archived articles.
- Bobby Short’s remains laid to rest (posted 7/26/05)
- Friends Gather at the Carlyle to Remember Bobby Short (NY Times article)
- Celebrating a Life (update to Danville page)
- “Bobby Short Place” Street Signs Available — A fan reports that replicas of the “Bobby Short Place” street sign are available from the New York City Department of Transportation. The original sign hangs outside the Cafe Carlyle on the corner of 76th Street and Madison Ave. in Manhattan, and was dedicated to Bobby Short several years ago. The signs cost $35 plus shipping and can be ordered by calling the DOT at (718) 894-2542. Thanks, Barry.
- Danville Commercial-News article reporting his death.
- New York Times Obituary.
- Piano Jazz Tribute to Bobby Short — Includes streaming audio of a 1997 program in which host Marian McPartland interviews and plays with Bobby.
- Fresh Air Interview — from June 2004. Includes reminiscences about growing up in Danville, Illinois.
- New York Times Appreciation.
- His Death Leaves a Void in the City (NY Times)
- Cafe Carlyle Goes Silent (NY Times)
- Short Led Beautiful Life (Commercial-News)
- City Mourns Death of Hometown Musician (Commercial-News)
- Friends Mourn Singer Who Hailed from Danville (News-Gazette)
Bibliography
Bobby Short’s two memoirs are unfortunately out of print, but can be obtained through your local library’s interlibrary loan department. For purchase, try AbeBooks or Bibliofind. Both memoirs, and the Christie’s auction catalog, are owned by Danville Public Library.
Books:
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Christie, Manson & Woods International Inc. The Personal Property of Bobby Short. London: Christie’s International Media Division, 2005. 86 pgs. The catalog for Christie’s Bobby Short auction of February 16, 2005.
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Short, Bobby. Black and White Baby. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1971. 304 pgs. Covers Short’s childhood in Danville, Illinois, his early entry into show business (a two-year stint on the road from ages 12-14) and his return to Danville to finish high school. For Danville residents or natives, there’s vivid period detail about the town. The title, incidentally, refers to Bobby’s youthful appearance in white tie and tails.
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Short, Bobby, and Robert G. Mackintosh. Bobby Short, The Life and Times of a Saloon Singer. New York: C. Potter, 1995. 265 pgs. “And when the time came, I left Danville.” So ends Black and White Baby. This book picks up where the first left off, tracing Bobby’s journeyman career which took him to Chicago, California, New York, Paris, and London, culminating in a 36-year tenure at Manhattan’s Cafe Carlyle.
Periodical Articles:
There have been many articles written about Bobby Short throughout the years, ranging from minor puff pieces to full-blown critical profiles. If you live in the Danville, Illinois area, the best single source is a clippings file maintained by the Public Library’s Reference Department. Included below is just a sample of what has been published.
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Aronson, Steven M. L. “Bobby Short at the Villa Manhattan.” Architectural Digest 48, (October 1991): 168-171. Bobby’s life in the South of France, where he spent every summer.
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Balliet, Whitney. “The Human Sound.” The New Yorker 46, (Dec 26, 1970): 28-35. An early profile.
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Bridges, Hudson. “Along the Avenues: Bobby Short at the Carlyle.” Gourmet (September 1986): 22+ A detailed, sophisticated profile.
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Merli, Melissa. “Bobby Short — Truly a Class Act.” News-Gazette, May 23, 2004, pg. C-1. Reminiscences by the author about seeing Short perform at the Cafe Carlyle, and comments by Short about his career.
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Phillips, Pat. “Danville Native Short to End Run at Carlyle.” News-Gazette, May18, 2004, pg. B-10. About the final season of Short’s 36-year tenure at the Carlyle.
Discography
The number of sound recordings featuring Bobby Short is formidable; a search in OCLC’s Worldcat database, for example, produced 120 hits. The list below includes only recordings on which Short is the primary contributor. Titles are listed in reverse chronological order and are linked to entries on the All-Music Guide, where set lists and further information can be found. “OP” after the year means the recording is out of print in the U.S. Recordings owned by Danville Public Library are marked with a *.
[ CD=compact disc; CS=cassette; LP=long-play record ]
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Jump for Joy (April 2002). Koch Jazz CD-8595. Reissue of the 1970 LP.
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*Piano (2001). 18 tracks performed by Bobby and his quintet.
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Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter/Guess Who’s in Town (2001). Collectables CD-6844. Reissue of the 1971 and 1986 albums.
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The Mad Twenties/My Personal Property (2001). Collectables CD-6845. Reissue of the 1958 and 1963 albums.
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Speaking of Love/Sing Me a Swing Song (2001). Collectables CD-6843. Reissue of the 1956 and 1957 albums.
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You’re the Top: Love Songs of Cole Porter (1999). Telarc CD-83463.
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*How’s Your Romance? (1999). Telarc CD-83464.
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*Celebrating 30 Years at the Cafe Carlyle (1997). Telarc CD-83428.
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Songs of New York Live at the Cafe Carlyle (1995). Telarc CD-83346, CS-33346-B.
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Live at the Cafe Carlyle (1994). Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD-589. A high-quality remastered CD reissue of Bobby’s 1974 LP of the same name.
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The Mad Twenties (1994). Atlantic 82709-2. CD reissue of the 1974 LP.
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Bobby Short Celebrates Rodgers & Hart (1994). Atlantic CD-81320-2, CS-2-610. Reissue of the 1975 LP.
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My Personal Property (1994, OP). Atlantic 82711-2. CD reissue of the 1963 LP.
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Nobody Else But Me (1994, OP). Atlantic 82710-2. CD reissue of the 1957 LP.
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Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz with Guest Bobby Short: Conversation and Music as Heard on National Public Radio (1994). Jazz Alliance TJA-12010. The great jazz pianist Marian McPartland interviews and plays duets with Bobby in this program recorded in 1986.
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*Swing that Music (1993). Telarc Jazz CD, CS-83317.
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*Late Night at the Cafe Carlyle (1992). Telarc CD-83311, CS-33311.
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Bobby Short is K-RA-ZY for Gershwin (1990). Atlantic CD-608-2, CS 608. A double album of material from 1956, ’57, and ’73.
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*Bobby, Noel, & Cole (1989). Atlantic CD-82062-2, CS-82062-4. Combines two previously released recordings: Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter, and Bobby Short is Mad About Noel Coward.
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Guess Who’s in Town: Bobby Short Performs the Songs of Andy Razaf (1987, OP). Atlantic CD-81778-2, CS-81778-4.
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50 By Bobby Short (1986). Atlantic CD-81715-2, CS81715-4. A 2-CD set of previously released material; a greatest hits package of sorts.
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Moments Like This (1982, OP). Atlantic CD-82474-2, CS-82474-4.
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The Very Best of Bobby Short (1972, OP). Atlantic SD 1620. LP of material recorded from 1955-58.
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*Mabel Mercer & Bobby Short at Town Hall (1968) and *Mercer & Short: Second Town Hall Concert(1969). Collectables Records COL 6839. Two breakthrough performances for Bobby, in which he teamed with one of his longtime idols. Newly repackaged as a double-CD set.
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Bobby Short on the East Side (1960, OP). Atlantic LP-1321.
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Sing Me a Swing Song (1958, OP). Atlantic LP-1285.
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Speaking of Love: The Songs of Bobby Short (1957, OP). Atlantic SD LP-1262.
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Bobby Short (1956, OP). Atlantic LP-1230.
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Songs by Bobby Short (1955, OP). Atlantic LP-1214.
Videography
Though he made music for over sixty years, Bobby Short did not become known to most Americans until the 1970’s, through a series of television commercials for Charley perfume. He was the subject of several concert videos and made cameos in feature films and TV shows, often appearing as himself (most famously in Hannah and Her Sisters). He even appeared in a “Love Boat” episode!
Videos owned by Danville Public Library are noted with *. Videos in print are linked to the All-Movie Guide or Internet Movie Database.
Concert Videos:
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*Bobby Short and Friends. New York: MGM/UA Home Video, 1986. 61 mins. In this performance, taped in 1982, Bobby plays for a audience of New York celebrities such as Tony Bennett, and is joined at the piano by Jack Lemmon and Lucie Arnaz.
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Bobby Short at the Cafe Carlyle (aka From the Cafe Carlyle). New York: V.I.E.W. Video, 1986. 75 mins. Originally a 1979 film entitled The Great Saloon Singer of Manhattan: Bobby Short Live at the Cafe Carlyle, this video features A 25-song set at the famous haunt, plus a tour of Bobby’s home.
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*An Evening With Bobby Short. New York: Congress Video Group, 1987. 30 mins. A performance taped live at the Cafe Carlyle in Manhattan.
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*You’re the Top: The Cole Porter Story. New York: Winstar Home Entertainment, 1997, 1990. 56 mins. Short, who has been called the greatest interpreter of Cole Porter’s work, hosts this documentary and also plays a few Porter songs. (Also available on DVD).
Documentaries:
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*Vaudeville. New York: WinStar TV & Video, 1999. 112 mins. This American Masters special about the history of Vaudeville features interviews with Bobby.
Feature Films:
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Man of the Century (1999)
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For Love or Money (1993)
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*Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
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Call Me Mister (1951)
TV Appearances (select):
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Blue Ice (1992 direct-to-video movie)
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In the Heat of the Night (1988, episode #7.16)
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A Night on the Town (1983 TV Movie)
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Hardhat and Legs (1980 TV Movie)
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Roots: The Next Generation (1979 miniseries)
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Love Boat episode (1981). In an episode airing May 2, 1981, Bobby appeared along with major fashion designers Halston, Gloria Vanderbilt, Bob Mackie, and Geoffrey Beene.
Webography
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All-Music Guide — Bio, discography, credits.
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Barnes & Noble.com Interview — Brief interview about his influences and tastes in music.
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Cafe Carlyle — The New York institution where Bobby played for 36 years.
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“Fresh Air” Interview — from June 2004. To the best of my knowledge, his last major interview. Includes reminiscences about growing up in Danville, Illinois.
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New York Times Review — Review of Short’s opening night (5/6/04) in his final year at the Cafe Carlyle.
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WNYC Radio Interview — Streaming audio of an interview originally broadcast in February 2003.
Bobby Short’s relationship to his hometown of Danville, Illinois was, by all accounts, complex. Next to the singer himself, Danville is the biggest character in Black and White Baby, Short’s first volume of memoirs.
His recollections of Danville are full of contrasts: growing up in crushing poverty, but in a loving home where music and creativity were encouraged; or dealing with institutional racism in a school system which nonetheless had supportive teachers.
Like many successful people who have worked their way out of poverty, Short — the epitome of New York sophistication — never forgot his modest Midwest roots. He returned home frequently, and not only for family visits. Beginning with a benefit concert for the Laura Lee Fellowship House in 1964 and continuing into the 1990’s, Bobby performed in Danville several times to raise money for charitable causes. While seeking to “give something back” to his hometown, he earned the respect and gratitude of its residents.