Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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SOUTHERN, Jeri

(b Genevieve Hering, 5 Aug. '26, Royal NE; d 4 Aug. '91, LA) Singer. Graduated from Notre Dame Academy, Omaha; studied piano; worked at Omaha's Blackstone Hotel. Toured with US Navy recruiting show; began to sing and played important dates in Chicago incl. Hi Note Club '49 supporting Anita O'Day; gained nightly TV spot. Signed to Decca; 'You Better Go Now', 'When I Fall In Love' successful '52, especially in UK where the latter beat Doris Day's version. (Billie Holiday said she got 'You Better Go Now' from Southern, although of course she did it her way.) LPs on Decca incl. Warm Intimate Songs, The Southern Style, You Better Go Now, When Your Heart's On Fire, Jeri Jumps Gently, Southern Hospitality; UK hit '57 with 'Fire Down Below', a tune from a Rita Hayworth movie. Capitol LPs incl. Sings Cole Porter (with witty arr. by Billy May) and At The Crescendo, combined on an EMI CD '97; Roulette albums incl. Southern Breeze also announced for CD reissue. To West Coast early '60s, quit performing to teach singing; later was the companion of film composer Hugo Friedhofer and orchestrated some of his work. Her intriguing detached sultriness still has many fans: 'You'll listen in vain for the manufactured lump in the throat or any bogus jollity' (Peter Clayton).