Laura (1945 song)
"Laura" is a 1945 popular song.
The music, composed by David Raksin for the 1944 movie "Laura," which starred Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, is heard frequently in the movie.
The film's director, Otto Preminger, had originally wanted to use Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" as the theme, but Raksin was not convinced that it was suitable.
Angered, Preminger gave Raksin one weekend to compose an alternative melody.
Raksin later said, and maintained for the rest of his days, that when, over that weekend, his wife sent him a "Dear John" letter, the haunting theme seemed to write itself.
The lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer after the film made the tune popular.
According to Mercer, he had not yet seen the movie when he wrote the lyrics but was aware that it was a romantic, somewhat haunting story.
The song became a jazz standard and has been recorded over 400 times.
Some of the best-known versions are by Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Johnny Johnston, Emil Newman, David Rose, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, J. J. Johnson, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra and Julie London (included on her 1955 debut album "
Julie Is Her Name, Vol. 1").
The first 10 notes of the song are sometimes "quoted" during jazz solos, especially since Dizzy Gillespie did it during his "Perdido" solo at the famous Massey Hall concert in 1953.
Kristian Leontiou
Kristian Leontiou (born February 1982) is a British singer of Greek Cypriot descent, and is the singer for the indie rock band One eskimO.
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century.
He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150million records worldwide.
Born to Italian immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.
Sinatra found success as a solo artist after he signed with Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the "bobby soxers".
He released his debut album, "The Voice of Frank Sinatra", in 1946.
But by the early 1950s his professional career had stalled and he turned to Las Vegas, where he became one of its best known residency performers as part of the Rat Pack.
His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of "From Here to Eternity", with his performance subsequently winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Sinatra released several critically lauded albums, including "In the Wee Small Hours" (1955), "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!"
(1956), "Come Fly with Me" (1958), "
Only the Lonely" (1958) and "Nice 'n' Easy" (1960).
Sinatra left Capitol in 1960 to start his own record label, Reprise Records, and released a string of successful albums.
In 1965, he recorded the retrospective album, "September of My Years" and starred in the Emmy-winning television special .
After releasing "Sinatra at the Sands", recorded at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Vegas with frequent collaborator Count Basie in early 1966, the following year he recorded one of his most famous collaborations with Tom Jobim, the album "Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim".
It was followed by 1968's "Francis A. & Edward K." with Duke Ellington.
Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971, but came out of retirement two years later.
He recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace, and released "New York, New York" in 1980.
Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally until shortly before his death in 1998.
Sinatra forged a highly successful career as a film actor.
After winning an Academy Award for "From Here to Eternity", he starred in "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955), and received critical acclaim for his performance in "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962).
He appeared in various musicals such as "On the Town" (1949), "Guys and Dolls" (1955), "High Society" (1956), and "Pal Joey" (1957), winning another Golden Globe for the latter.
Toward the end of his career, he became associated with playing detectives, including the title character in "Tony Rome" (1967).
Sinatra would later receive the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971.
On television, "The Frank Sinatra Show" began on ABC in 1950, and he continued to make appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Sinatra was also heavily involved with politics from the mid-1940s, and actively campaigned for presidents such as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
In crime, Sinatra was investigated by the FBI for his alleged relationship with the Mafia.
While Sinatra never learned how to read music, he had an impressive understanding of it, and he worked very hard from a young age to improve his abilities in all aspects of music.
A perfectionist, renowned for his dress sense and performing presence, he always insisted on recording live with his band.
His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes".
Sinatra led a colorful personal life, and was often involved in turbulent affairs with women, such as with his second wife Ava Gardner.
He later married Mia Farrow in 1966 and Barbara Marx in 1976.
Sinatra had several violent confrontations, usually with journalists he felt had crossed him, or work bosses with whom he had disagreements.
He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997.
Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was collectively included in "Time" magazine's compilation After Sinatra's death, American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century", and he continues to be seen as an iconic figure.
Laura Smet
Laura Huguette Smet( born 15 November 1983) is a French actress.
She is the daughter of rock musician Johnny Hallyday and actress Nathalie Baye.
In 1986, Johnny Hallyday recorded in her honor the song" Laura", written by Jean- Jacques Goldman.
O Valencia!
" O Valencia!" is the fifth single by the indie rock band
The Decemberists, and the first released from their fourth studio album," The Crane Wife".
The music was written by The Decemberists and the lyrics by Colin Meloy.
It tells a story of two star- crossed lovers.
The singer falls in love with a person who belongs to an opposing gang.
At the end of the song, the singer's lover jumps in to defend the singer, who is confronting his lover's brother( the singer's" sworn enemy") and is killed by the bullet intended for the singer.
Bernie Bonvoisin
Bernard Bonvoisin, known as Bernie Bonvoisin( born 9 July 1956 in Nanterre, Hauts- de- Seine), is a French hard rock singer and film director.
He is best known for having been the singer of Trust.
He was one of the best friends of Bon Scott the singer of AC/ DC and together they recorded the song" Ride On" which was one of the last songs by Bon Scott.
Astrid North
Astrid North( Astrid Karina North Radmann; 24 August 1973, Berlin – 25 June 2019, Berlin) was a German soul singer and songwriter.
She was the singer of the German band, with whom she released five Albums.
As guest singer of the band she published three albums.
Caspar Babypants
Caspar Babypants is the stage name of children's music artist Chris Ballew, who is also widely known as the singer of The Presidents of the United States of America.
Branko Laura
Branko Laura( born 21 October 1982), is a Croatian futsal player who plays for MNK Split Brodosplit Inženjering and the Croatia national futsal team.
Billy Milano
Billy Milano is a Bronx- born heavy metal musician now based in Austin, Texas.
He is the singer and- occasionally- guitarist and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D., and he was also the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death.
He was also the singer of United Forces, which also featured his Stormtroopers of Death bandmate Dan Lilker.

Question: Where was the performer of song Laura (1945 Song) born?
Answer: Hoboken