Wednesday, December 07, 2022

Who's Jeannie?

For years and years, I've been seeing this LP in the thrift stores and wondering who it was and what the story behind the record was. I can remember seeing this in the bins at the Salvation Army thrift store in Gainesville when I went to college. I think at the time I assumed it was a gospel record, but I didn't have much reason to assume that, I just did. I'm afraid I don't have much of an answer for you tonight as to who it is, but I do have two different covers. Sometime recently I found both of them together at a store and suddenly wondered if I'd been seeing both covers all along, but never together, so I didn't realize there was a difference. They're clearly from the same photo shoot, but not the same shot. The back of the LP is different also, but most of the credits are the same. Even the labels are slightly different. It seems to be more than just a later pressing, as if maybe there was a disagreement over production or something. As near as I can tell, the music is the same from one to the other, though to be honest, I didn't record both of them, I just kinda spot-checked here and there. Maybe one of our visitors can shed some light on this strange situation. For what it's worth, Jeannie released other albums with a similar "Jeannie Sings' theme, one recorded right here in Florida (On Captiva Island, which was hit badly by Hurricane Ian just this year). They all claim to be from TV specials, but how was she able to make TV specials as an unknown performer? Is she like Dora Hall and was married to a rich guy who bankrolled her career? This is Jeannie Conroy-Jeannie Sings Christmas At Waterville Valley, New Hampshire (Schooner Sc. 85013, Stereo, 1977).

1. Medley: Sleigh Ride; Winter Wonderland
2. Snowbird
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
4. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
5. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
6. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
7. Medley: Deck The Halls; Jingle Bell Rock
8. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
9. Silent Night, Holy Night

MEGA

Update-A kind visitor pointed out that the video of this TV special is up on YouTube. It's everything you expect it to be, plus commercials. Check it out!

(I apologize for the moire in this scan. I have no idea what happened, and I didn't have time to fix it. I must have hit the wrong button on the scanner or something.)

12 comments:

  1. I've seen this record a million times and just now realized that I've been confusing this person with Jeannie C. Riley.

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    1. Close, but not quite. It does show up a lot for some reason, though.

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  2. I've seen it and its cousins many, many times. She may have bought time on TV stations and sold these records mail order.

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    1. That might explain it, 'cause she sure did sell a lot of record for not being famous...

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  3. Wow - my parents owned a copy of this record. I have no idea how they got it. We didn't live in Florida (New Jersey, actually).

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    1. It's funny how people from all over see this record, but no one seems to know the story behind it. Thanks for the comment!

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  4. Jeannie Conroy appears to have been a Florida-based singer, whose husband John produced her TV specials. I found articles that say she graduated from Miami’s Barry College for the Performing Arts, then spent seven years under contract to Richard Rodgers, touring the country in Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, then in other touring Broadway shows. A 1972 Bradenton, FL newspaper says she was 27 that year and she and her husband had an eight year-old son; she was singing in a pub at the time. She had returned to Florida after her musical comedy career and she and her husband started these independent television specials. A 1973 article quoted her husband/producer saying they had filmed 8 shows so far. From a 1977 Florida newspaper article: “Each program in the ‘Jeannie Sings’ series features an exotic background. The series premiere was taped on location in New Hampshire last Christmas and an upcoming program will be taped in Provincetown, Mass. this summer.” It looks like they produced quite a few Christmas shows, and they weren’t shown just in Florida; I found TV listings for her specials from Massachusetts, Arizona, New York, and Ohio.

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    1. Boy, you're good with the research! Thanks for all that. I'm in Bradenton, FL right this second, so I'm surprised that she's a local girl. Thanks again!

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    2. Full confession, Ernie, I'm an archivist at a library--it's kinda my job. Discogs said she died in New Hampshire in 2020, but that may not be correct. I see listings for a Jeanne Conroy Franklin in Naples.

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    3. I seem to recall seeing some death dates that didn't line up or something. Thanks again for all the info, much appreciated.

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  5. OMG it's on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@jeannieconroyshow5515

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