finetune artist: Dick Powell

b. Richard Ewing Powell, 14 November 1904, Mountain View, Arkansas, USA, d. 3 January 1963, Hollywood, California, USA. Powell was an extremely popular singing star of major 30s film musicals, with an appealing tenor voice, and "matinee-idol" looks. He sang firstly as a boy soprano, and later, tenor, in school and church choirs, and learnt to play several musical instruments including the cornet, saxophone and banjo. In his late teens he was a member of the Royal Peacock Orchestra in Kentucky, and in the late 20s sang and played for Charlie Davis, with whom he made some early recordings, and other mid-west bands. In the early 30s he worked as a Master of Ceremonies and singer at the Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, and the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, where he was discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout, and signed to a film contract. He made his film debut in Blessed Event (1932), before making an enormous impact, along with another young newcomer, Ruby Keeler, in the spectacular Busby Berkeley back-stage musical 42nd Street (1933). The film's score, by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, included the title song; "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me" and "Young And Healthy".

Listen to Dick Powell at Finetune.

Dames (Album Version from 'Dames')