Gale Storm - Memories Are Made Of This

Gale Storm, perhaps best remembered for her television series My Little Margie in the early '50s, didn't have an easy time growing up in Texas. When her luck changed, however, it changed in a big way. Through a series of lucky breaks, she won a movie contract, landed a husband, and started a singing career, in that order.

Storm, whose real name is Josephine Owaissa Cottle, was born in 1922 in Bloomington, TX. Her father passed away before her first birthday and left her mother as sole support of five children. Their home lacked modern conveniences like indoor plumbing. They made do with an outhouse and laundered their clothes with homemade soap. By the time Storm entered junior high school in Houston, there still wasn't enough money for extras like girls' clubs, including the Girl Scouts. Storm turned instead to the school's free drama club.

In high school, a pair of her teachers encouraged her to participate in a popular contest of the day, Gateway to Hollywood. Held in Hollywood during the late '30s, the competition offered an opportunity for two winners to walk away with a movie contract. Storm was one of those winners and a young man was the other. The two contestants ended up marrying each other, and Storm had her foot in the door at RKO and Universal. She went on to make such films as Between Midnight and Dawn, Woman of the North Country, It Happened on Fifth Avenue, and Foreign Agent, among others.

After Storm triumphed in the talent contest and won her trip to Hollywood, luck didn't desert her. When she appeared on the Comedy Hour Show, where she sang a popular number, her performance was caught by a little girl watching television in Gallatin, TN. From the next room, the child's father also heard the performance and asked who was on the broadcast. The child told him that the stunning singer was "My Little Margie." The girl's father, Randy Wood, was excited enough by her voice that he placed a telephone call then and there, while Storm was still on television. He wanted to sign her to his company, Dot Records.

Storm began to record for Dot. In 1955, her rendition of "I Hear You Knocking," originally by Smiley Lewis, landed in the Top Five on the charts. Other 1955 releases include "Memories Are Made of This" and "Teen Age Prayer," followed in 1956 by "Ivory Tower" and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" and the following year, "Dark Moon." She also recorded "My Happiness" and "Now Is the Hour," and issued a few albums.

During the late '50s she starred in The Gale Storm Show on television. Later in life, Storm appeared in regional theater productions near her San Fernando Valley home. With actresses Sheree North and Betty Garrett in 1987, she co-starred in a production of +Breaking Up the Act. In 1981 she wrote -I Ain't Down Yet: The Autobiography of My Little Margie. ~ Linda Seida, All Music Guide

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• pop
• rock

[qb63]

What a great recording, what a great artist...I was born in 1945 and can remember this. Tremendous!! RIP

[John1948Five]

@qb63 I was born in 48 and I think Gale was my first celebrity crush.

[John1948Five]

GALE STORM: R.I.P.

By: Hollywood Outbreak on: Jun 28,2009 In: BREAKING NEWS, NEWS OF THE DAY

This just inshe was a 50s favorite:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Gale Storm , whose wholesome appearance and perky personality made her one of early televisions biggest stars, has died at age 87.

The actress died Saturday at a convalescent hospital in Danville, said her son, Peter Bonnell. He says she died of natural causes.

[cutegrandma]

Good grief....where did you find this? I remember her from the 50's... remember her TV show also......"My Little Margie".....

[John1948Five]

Did you look around my channel and find the others I posted. I must have 6 or more by Gale.

[hoesey]

As a baby boomer I remember Miss Storm and her show My Little Margie. Thinking of it now brings back a tide of wonderful and lasting memories.

Great stuff.

Thanks Miss Storm. Memories (definitely) are made of this. R.I.P.

[lichtbroeder]

My parents had the 45 rpm version of this when I was a kid. We played it on a blond wood Magnavox. The music brings back such memories - I ca even "smell" the record and record player!

[WRTolkasjr]

@Alikah1 You maybe correct. Just that rich voice reminded me of Mr. Ames. The computer speakers can fool a person or a bad set of headphones. But how would we ever really know?

[Alikah1]

@wrtolkas I have to go on record doubting that, though I don't pretend to speak authoritatively. However, Ed Ames(and his brothers) were at that time under contract to RCA and it was nearly unheard of for one of their stars to be permitted to lend his voice to a recording on another label not owned by the parent company.

[wrtolkas]

I'll bet my last dollar that the backup vocalist with the bass voice is Ed Ames.

[skyzella]

NEVER thought I would enjoy any but Dean Martin singing this -- thanks! Never heard of her before even tho I am in my 60's , maybe she didnt have hits in the UK? She has a superb voice and delivery.

[TheWandrinStar]

@qb63 ditto - I too was born in 1945 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Mommarried and American soldier and here I am. Gale Storm was a meaningful part of my growing up - music and My Little Margie.

[TheJerrycitot]

So cute - Gale Storm was one of those stars who lite up the sky, even if she never did light up Hollywood Boulevard - but then again, Karen Carpenter didn't either, and they were both such wonderful vocal stars.

[FatherTimeST1300]

Nice song, one of my favorites. Thanks for posting. RIP, Gale Storm.

[guiana1000]

this was the time when listening to music ment sooome thing,and i like dino,s version also ho dean martin

[boilerplate7]

I remember her in 1950's "My Little Margie". Such a pretty girl, and funny ... She would get into hair raising situations while tryng to cover up for some minor embarrassment. She would conspire with 80 YO Mrs Odettes next door to help her hide the truth. Her boyfriend played by Martin Milner would exclaim" This place confuses me!".

[sipenholz]

Thanks very much ! Merci beaucoup ! Greetings from Belgium !