Deanna Durbin, age 13 - One Night of Love

Music by Victor Schertzinger
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Before making movies, Durbin was a radio celebrity. This 1935 performance was her first national radio broadcast, the one that catapulted her to stardom. I reversed the order so that the song is first and the interview second.

Her true name is Edna Mae Durbin - "Deanna" was a stage name she took in 1936.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Deanna
• Durbin
• One
• Night
• of
• Love

[violinthief]

For all of the fools who claim this isn't Durbin, I just uploaded the full radio interview, ending with the unedited "One Night of Love". Egg on all your faces.

[freespiritQC]

This is NOT a 13 years old. I'm a singer and voice teacher specialized in kids and teenagers voices and this a mature woman voice.

[violinthief]

You may be a voice teacher, but you are certainly not at the same level as Deanna's teacher, Andres DeSegurola, primo basso of the Met during the Caruso era. He declared that, at age 13, Durbin was a fully mature lyric soprano. Upon hearing this broadcast, Grace Moore said "That kid sings better than me!" At age 14, she and Rosa Ponselle both sang at the same function, and Durbin was considered the superior of the two by most of the attendees. At 15, she was invited to star at the Met.

[freespiritQC]

Go listen to her in 1937 at age 16, 3 years later. It has nothing to do with that recording of yours. And I don't care who her teacher was. She was a great talent with ou without him. Teachers don't make artists, artists are.

And it's not her at 13...

[violinthief]

Most of the Deanna Durbin singing clips on youtube are from my account. I know exactly what I'm posting. For your ignorant and unfounded claims to be true, I'd need to have access to the Durbin broadcast at which she sang this song and have combined it with some other singer from the same era, singing in a live radio broadcast, in front of an audience, who also happens to enunciate every syllable very clearly, just like Durbin. Here's a simpler explanation - this is Durbin, and you're a moron.

[flowersings]

@freespiritQC I'd sincerely be interested in what you think of Jackie Evancho and her technique.

[violinthief]

@flowersings So many people have left Jackie Evancho comments that I checked out some of her videos. It's better to compare her to Charlotte Church than Deanna Durbin. Evancho has a long way to go before being compared to DD. Church never got there. I doubt Evancho will, either. She just doesn't have much range - her low notes are weak, and when she goes high, she has to switch to head voice. Compare Durbin and Evancho on the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria. The gap is huge. Different ages, though.

[RoboSlater]

@violinthief Thank you so much for posting Deanna Durbin's songs! Her voice not only brings up memories of the innocent themes of her films, but she inspires feelings in one's heart that one can only experience when listening to a once-in-a-generation-or-two vocal talent fully expressed. No use wasting your time: There will always be morons raised in a cynical liberal culture. Some still believe Jackie Evancho is dubbed.

[TheAnastasiaLee]

Deanna is amazing, I listen to her often, she is awesome!

~Anastasia Lee~

[bbcisrubbish]

I'm confused. After the first singer the announcer said "and now we have little Edna May Durbin", and proceeded to interview her. If the first singer was Deanna why did he say "and now we have"? We will never know. However, the first singer was remarkably like a mature Deanna.

[UncleAnti]

Play nice children - no need for name calling! Everyone just enjoy the singing...

[DivetteDoryKamen]

@freespiritQC I had trouble believing it at first, too! If you want to see her in action at age 14, I suggest you watch any of her clips from "Three Smart Girls" on YouTube, or rent the whole movie. It's available from Netflix. There is a youthfulness in her voice that shows she isn't old, but I agree that she sings more maturely than almost anyone her age.

[Mrsawyer46]

I'm 64 years old and had never listened to Deanna until recently, as she had stopped performing about the time I was born.  I'm appreciative of singers with exceptional voices and singing abilities. I've listened to most of the opera greats.

My opinion...Deanna Durbin had the most beautiful of all voices and most importantly, knew how to use it. I've now listened to some of her recordings...breathtaking.

And mark these words...Jackie Evancho, within 2 or 3 years, will be her equal.

[mikeyzip]

Whoever you are keep her music coming.

[frankalsoran]

the film studios change her name in 1936 to deanna when she was 14years old,in this type she was called edna mai so she was just 13 when she sang this song,shame she stopped singing so early, its nice to know she will be 90 ys old in dec .

[237cupcake]

she is so pretty

[vxz76]

this not right i saw the video 1937 and she was singing much diferent,this not only 13,this is a womam voice...