Jane Olivor

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Jane Olivor (born January 1, 1947 in New York City ; actually Linda Cohen ) is an American pop singer. Her style is very close to Barbra Streisand : Great ballads, performed with a very emotional, strong voice. Their music consists of traditional ( 70s ) pop , show numbers and delicate ballads , partly influenced by French chanson . That is why the comparison with Édith Piaf was made .

biography

Much like Streisand, Jane Olivor has had a large gay fan base since the beginning of her career . She had already made a name for herself as an expressive interpreter in the Manhattan club scene of the early 1970s. In 1976 she signed a recording deal with Columbia Records and recorded her debut First Night that same year . Cover versions like Vincent (by Don McLean ), Come Softly To Me (by the Fleetwoods ), Better Days (by Melissa Manchester ) or One More Ride On The Merry-Go-Round (by Neil Sedaka ) were included on the titles she already gave the best in her live program. Her delicate interpretation of Some Enchanted Evening from the musical South Pacific was her first contact with the US singles charts (number 91).

Together with Johnny Mathis , Olivor sang the song The Last Time I Felt Like This in 1978 for the film Same Time Next Year (leading role: Ellen Burstyn ), which was later nominated for an Oscar in the "Best Song" category. With a remake of the Chiffons classic He's So Fine , she achieved a modest hit in the pop charts in the same year (number 77). As a live artist, she peaked as headlining the famous Greek Theater in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Until 1982, albums were regularly released that sold solidly ( The Best Side Of Goodbye reached number 58 in the US album charts as the highest place), but did not free the singer from the cult star corner. In addition, Jane Olivor suffered from pronounced stage fright , which made appearances difficult. A big disadvantage for a singer who is finding her audience in night clubs. From 1983 she withdrew more and more from show business, which may also have been due to conflicts with her record label Columbia. She married that same year, but learned shortly after that her husband had cancer. He died in 1986 and the singer seemed to have finally ended her musician career. One critic called her the " Amelia Earhart of pop music".

In the 90s, Jane Olivor gradually began to perform more often and in the process experienced a very loyal audience that she had not forgotten over the years. Love Decides also ended their 20-year hiatus from the recording studio in 2000. The following year the Christmas album Songs Of The Season followed and in 2004 she shone with the "safe return" of her live album (and the DVD of the same name) Safe Return .

Discography

Studio and live albums

  • 1976: First Night (Columbia)
  • 1977: Chasing Rainbows (Columbia)
  • 1978: Stay the Night (Columbia)
  • 1980: The Best Side of Goodbye (Columbia)
  • 1982: In Concert (Live) (Columbia)
  • 2000: Love Decides (Varese)
  • 2001: Songs of the Season (Varese)
  • 2004: Safe Return (Live) (PS Classics)

Compilations

  • 1981: Enchanted Evening (CBS, Australia only)
  • 1995: So Fine (Sony)
  • 2004: The Best of Jane Olivor (Sony)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Olivor, Jane
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cohen, Linda (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pop singer
DATE OF BIRTH January 1, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City , New York , USA