Complete Timi Yuro biography: http://www.flickr.com/people/timiyuro/
Rosemary Timotea Yuro was born into an Italian-American family in Chicago, the middle name stems from an Irish godfather, who wanted to call his godson Timothy. When the baby was a girl, he suggested she be named Timotea an Italian name for girls. Her Italian grandparents spoke no English when they came to the U.S.A. The immigration officer at Ellis Island registered their familyname a Yuro,as he could not understand the Italian pronunciation of Aurro. Timi's nanny, Mrs.Houston-who was previously Mrs.Yuro's nanny-was to have a tremendous influence on Timi's career, she took the young Timi to performances by Mildred Bailey and Dinah Washington where the audience was treated to blues and soul music. She was encouraged by her mother to take operatic training. Her first demo, recorded when she was eight years old, happens to be an opera recording called 'Poor Butterfly'. In 1952, the family moved to Los Angeles, where they opened a restaurant, in which Timi worked. But her obsession with music led her to be sent to Lilian Goodman, the voice-coach. Amazed by the impoverished teenager's vocal power, Goodman gave her free lessons. In 1954, she started as a waitress in a restaurant to earn some money for the Yuro family. Thanks to a little prevarication, got inside a few night clubs and started her first public performances. Timi persuaded her parents to turn their restaurant into a music venue, and its prospects changed. Even Elvis Presley reportedly went to eat pizza at Alvolturno's. In 1959, Yuro signed up with Liberty Records, though, for two frustrating years, she was given bland, inappropriate material. She eventually forced her way into a board meeting, where she sang Hurt, to Liberty's president, Al Bennett. Suitably impressed, he arranged for her to be recorded by Clyde Otis. No one understood her like Otis, Yuro recalled, apart from her mother. Hurt was a number four US pop hit in September 1961. Still uncertain about how to market Yuro, Liberty encouraged her to record more emotional ballads, including Smile and Cry, originally recorded by Johnnie Ray, with whom Yuro was paired to record a version of I Believe. Yuro's recording of What's A Matter Baby was mixed by Phil Spector. The single, The Love Of A Boy, was arranged and co-written by Burt Bacharach.Impressed by her voice, Frank Sinatra asked Yuro to support him on his 1961 Australian tour. Timi Yuro was the first white female artist to sing at New York's legendary's Apollo theatre in Harlem, and she was nominated for the Grammy Award Best New Artist in 1962. She sang the title tracks on the 1962 film "Satan Never Sleeps" and the 1968 film "Interlude". In 1963 Liberty released Make the World Go Away, an album with, Permanently Lonely and Are You Sure, both written by Willie Nelson, whom Yuro's mother had fed when he was particularly desperate. Mercury records released the album "The Amazing Timi Yuro" in 1964, produced by Quincy Jones. She returned to her Italian origins with the 1965 release "E poi verra 'l' autunno" - "Ti Credo", recorded for entry in Italy's San Remo festival. Timi Yuro reached the half final and won an award for her performance. After her marriage with William Robert Selnick in 1969, Yuro's career took second place to the raising of her daughter, Milan. She performed only sporadically in the decade to follow, briefly resurfacing in 1975 on the short-lived Playboy label with "Southern Lady." 1979 she was diagnosed with throat cancer, but recovered to cut several LP's for the Dutch market. The LP All alone am I (triple platinum) brought her from nearly forgotten obscurity to mayor stardom in The Netherlands, and was the #1 album of the year 1981. Willie Nelson repaid old favours, financing and appearing on her final album, Timi Yuro Today. This vinyl album 'Today' was reissued as a cd in 1991 on her own TRMI label, remastered and remixed by Yuro herself and titled Timi Yuro Sings Willie Nelson. May '85 she was forced to undergo a tracheotomy operation, effectly ending her singing career.She lost a part of a lung in 1997,valiantly she fought cancer, but in 2004, she succumbed to braincancer. Her voice will never be stilled. Timi Yuro was one of the most powerful, passionate, committed and emotional singers ever put on record. her idol Dinah Washington said of her, 'Timi's voice doesn't come from her throat,but from her heart. She doesn't just sing the song, she lives it'. Timi described herself as, 'A stylist rather than a popsinger, a stylist is a real singer who has their own particular bag. It may take longer to get your particular style over,but in the end it's wort it'. Timi Yuro born August 4, 1940 died March 30, 2004 63 years -- William Robert Selnick born February 8, 1939 d. August 26, 2007 68 years -- Edith Yuro born July 4, 1915 d. October 1, 1989 74 years -- Louis Yuro born June 7, 1909 d. July 1, 1979 70 years.
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Timi Yuro look down 1963by TimiYuroFriends965 views
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