Photo: General Artists Corporation (management), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Singers · 1920–2002

Peggy Lee

American singer (1920–2002)

Born: 26 May 1920
Jamestown
Died: 21 January 2002
Bel Air
Country: United States
Active: 1937–2000
Record labels: Capitol Records, Decca
Discography: 55 albums

Biography

Peggy Lee was a jazz musician who played voice. Peggy Lee was born on 26 May 1920 in Jamestown and died on 21 January 2002 in Bel Air. The music is usually filed under jazz and pop music. Record labels: Capitol Records and Decca. The discography here lists 55 albums, from “Benny Goodman and His Orchestra and Sextet; Vocals by Peggy Lee” (1948) to “Too Marvelous For Words” (2026). Honours include Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (1970), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1995) and Songwriters Hall of Fame (1999).

Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music. Her best known hits were recorded during her time at Capitol Records, including "Why Don't You Do Right?" (1943), "Fever" (1958), and "Is That All There Is?" (1969). The latter two songs earned her Grammy Awards. Towards her later recordings, Lee switched to complete vocal jazz with albums like Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988). Lee recorded more than 1,100 masters and co-wrote more than 270 songs.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Benny Goodman and His Orchestra and Sextet; Vocals by Peggy Lee 1948

Rendezvous With Peggy Lee 1948

South Pacific 1949

Black Coffee With Peggy Lee 1953

Songs in an Intimate Style 1954

Songs From Pete Kelly’s Blues 1955

Songs from Walt Disney's Lady and The Tramp 1955

Dream Street 1957

The Man I Love 1957

Jump for Joy 1958

Sea Shells 1958

Things Are Swingin’ 1958

Beauty and the Beat! 1959

I Like Men! 1959

Miss Wonderful 1959

Christmas Carousel 1960

Latin ala Lee! 1960

Olé Ala Lee! 1960

Pretty Eyes 1960

Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee 1961 · Live

If You Go 1961

Blues Cross Country 1962

Sugar ’n’ Spice 1962

I’m a Woman 1963

Mink Jazz 1963

In Love Again! 1964

In the Name of Love 1964

Pass Me By 1965

Then Was Then – Now Is Now! 1965

Big $pender 1966

Guitars Alà Lee 1966

Somethin’ Groovy! 1967

A Natural Woman 1969

Is That All There Is? 1969

Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970

Where Did They Go 1971

Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota 1972

Let’s Love 1974

Mirrors 1975

Peggy 1977

Peggy Sings the Blues 1988

Love Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen 1993

Moments Like This 1993

Fever! In Concert at The London Palladium 1996 · Live

The Entertainers 1996

Latin Ala Lee! 2000

Mirrors 2003

Peggy at Basin Street East (Unreleased) 2003 · Live

The Jazz Singer 2005

These Foolish Things 2006

Moon Flowers The Collection: 1952-54 2007

Two Shows Nightly: Live at the Copa 2009 · Live

Live in London 2015 · Live

Too Marvelous For Words 2026

Close Enough for Love

Also plays on

Albums where Peggy Lee is credited as a sideman

1954	Selections from Irving Berlin’s White Christmas — Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Peggy Lee	vocals
1989	Christmas With Bing — Bing Crosby	vocals, lead vocals
2004	Christmas Songs — Bing Crosby	vocals

Standards written by Peggy Lee

Title	Key	Form	Groove
I Love Being Here With You	B♭ major	AABC · 32	Medium swing
It's A Good Day	C major	AABA · 64	Medium-up swing
I Don't Know Enough About You	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing

Awards

1970 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
1995 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1999 Songwriters Hall of Fame
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Historic 78 rpm records

Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Bob Crosby and Orchestra · Peggy Lee & Bob Crosby · Warren · Mercer · 1944 archive.org ↗

Books about Peggy Lee

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Peggy Lee play?

Peggy Lee is known for playing voice.

When and where was Peggy Lee born?

Peggy Lee was born 26 May 1920 in Jamestown.

What are Peggy Lee's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Too Marvelous For Words (2026), Benny Goodman and His Orchestra and Sextet; Vocals by Peggy Lee (1948), Rendezvous With Peggy Lee (1948), South Pacific (1949) and Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1953).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.