Workman, Nanette

Websites:  https://www.facebook.com/p/Nanette-Workman-officielle-100046525306670/, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanette-workman-emc
Origin: Brooklyn, New York - Jackson, Mississippi. A, USA - Montréal, Québec
Biography:

Nanette Workman. Singer, songwriter, actress, b Brooklyn, NY, 20 Nov 1945. Her father played trumpet in Tommy Dorsey's orchestra, and her mother acted in Broadway theaters. She began her career at 11 in Jackson, Miss, where she appeared in the television series 'Mr. Magic'. Two years later, she hosted her own show for teenagers, singing every week. In 1964, her attempt to enter the Juilliard School was not successful. In New York, she met singer Rudy Vallee and, for two years, sang the title role in the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Later on, she met Tony Roman (Antonio D'Ambrosio, b Montreal 1942, d Montreal 8 Jun 2007) in a Manhattan club; he offered her the chance to sing a rock version of 'Et maintenant' by Gilbert Bécaud. She thus learned French and charmed the Quebec public with her ingenue looks and her American accent, making many appearances on televison, in particular on the program 'Jeunesse d'aujourd'hui' (CFTM-TV). In 1968, she went to England where she acted in a television comedy with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, while acting as back-up singer for the Rolling Stones ('Honky Tonk Women'), John Lennon and Elton John.

When her visa expired, she moved to Paris where she sang with Johnny Halliday, touring Africa, Polynesia and Europe prior to coming back to Quebec in 1974. 'Lady Marmalade', 'Danser danser', and especially 'Call Girl' (by Luc Plamondon) placed first on the hit parades. She subsequently played the part of Sadia in the rock opera Starmania by Plamondon-Berger which ran at the Paris Convention Centre in 1979 (recorded on 2-Kébec-Frog KF-8001-8002). Along with Jean-Pierre Ferland, Marie-Claire Séguin and Louise Portal, she toured Quebec with the show Du gramophone au laser which recounted the history of the Quebécois chanson. She was part of the cast of Plamondon-Berger's second rock opera, La Légende de Jimmy, based on the life of James Dean; in 1990, this show ran for five months at the Mogador, in Paris, and the recording sold over 100 000 copies (CBS CK-90857-CD).

Nanette Joan Workman was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 1945, to musician parents. Her mother, Beatryce Kreisman, was in the chorus of Naughty Marietta with the New York City Opera Company, and her father, Ernest Workman, played trumpet in Tommy Dorsey's orchestra. She grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child she studied piano and began her career at 11, appearing in the local WLBT television series Mr. Magic (later Junior Time) until she was given her own weekly show, Teen Tempos. She graduated from Provine High School then attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg leaving college at 18 for Broadway.

After understudying the lead of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, she played the role of Rosemary in 1964 and later played the lead in summer stock. In 1966 Workman met Tony Roman and recorded her first French single, "Et Maintenant", for him in Canada, where the song remained on the charts for fifteen weeks after becoming number one. Over the next two years she became a Canadian recording and TV star finally hosting Fleurs D'Amours et Fleurs d'Amitie.

Then in 1969 Workman moved to England where she appeared weekly on Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's comedy series Two Weeks at the Savoy. Credited as Nanette Newman, Workman sang backup vocals on "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Country Honk", tracks from the Rolling Stones' 1969 album Let it Bleed, as well as on the Stones' 1969 single, "Honky Tonk Woman". She also worked with John Lennon and Elton John. In addition, she appeared in one of the black-and-white episodes of The Benny Hill Show (appearing as Nanette), performing "Everybody's Singing Like Now" on the February 24, 1971 edition. Workman toured France in 1973 as an opening act for Johnny Hallyday.

She made three albums with Yves Martin touring Africa, Polynesia and Europe prior to coming back to Quebec in 1974 where she recorded several more French albums. Lady Marmalade, Danser Danser, and especially Call Girl (by Luc Plamondon) placed first on the hit parades.

Returning to France in 1978, she starred in the Rock Opera Starmania as Sadia. In 1979 she sang backs in the Mahogany Rush song "Sister Change" ("Tales of an Unexpected" album). In 1980 she made an album Chaude in collaboration with her brother Billy Workman and Luc Plamondon and toured Quebec with the show Du gramophone au laser which recounted the history of the Québécois chanson. In 1990 she returned to Paris to become La Diva in Plamondon-Berger's second rock opera, La Légende de Jimmy, based on the life of James Dean. In April 2000 Nanette Workman was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.

Roots N Blues, another album in English, was released in May 2001. In 2001 she also appeared in a Radio-Canada television series, Rivière-des-Jérémie , and was the hostess for thirteen episodes of Generation 70. In 2007, she was recognized by the State of Mississippi when Governor Haley Barbour honored her at the opening of The Nanette Workman French (Francophone) House on the Mississippi State University campus. The NWFH houses American and French-speaking students from around the world as an upper-classman residence. Family : She has one son, Jesse (born 1987).

Awards and recognition:
1967: Découverte de l'année, Gala des Artistes.
1982: Félix 45 tours le plus vendu ''Call Girl'', Nanette Workman
1993: Félix Spectacle de l'année - Interprète ''La légende de Jimmy'' Nanette Workman
1994: Félix Album de l'année - Rock ''Rock & Romance'' Nanette Workman
2000: Inducted in the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.