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From the Archives: Singer Betty Johnson.

Singer Betty Johnson. She was a member of "The Johnson Family," which sang gospel and country music for two decades. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fan, and the group was invited to sing at his memorial service. Johnson went solo in the late 1950s and was a regular on Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club," and Jack Paar's TV show. She also made many guest appearances on TV shows. During that time she made over 150 records and a dozen albums. Johnson left show business to raise a family and receive a degree in drama at Dartmouth. Johnson has since returned to her singing career, with a cabaret act in 1994 at The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. (REBROADCAST from 2/1/95). She has two new albums to be released later this month: a solo album, "My Heart Sings" (on her own label, Johnson Gray) and a gospel album with her daughter, "In the Garden." (same label.)

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Other segments from the episode on October 6, 1995

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 6, 1995: Interview with Betty Johnson; Interview with Eileen Farrell; Review of the film "To Die For."
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21:41

From the Archives: Soprano Eileen Farrell.

Soprano Eileen Farrell. At the age of 75, she's had a long career: she began in radio, with her own show on CBS, in the forties. In the fifties she started singing opera, and has performed with every major opera company and symphony orchestra in the U.S., including five seasons with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She has also been a professor of music at Indiana University and the University of Maine. Starting in the sixties, she began putting out albums of jazz standards.

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21:46

Singer Betty Johnson

Johnson was a member of The Johnson Family, which sang gospel and country music for two decades. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fan; the group was invited to sing at his memorial service. Johnson went solo in the late-1950s, and was a regular on Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" and Jack Paar's TV show. After making a dozen records, she left show business to raise a family and earn a degree in drama at Dartmouth. She has since returned to her singing career, with a cabaret act at The Oak Room. Her new album is called "A Family Affair."

Interview

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