From: Dik de Heer 
Date: Fri Oct 31, 2003 1:32am
Subject: Born To Be With You : Anita Kerr
 
ANITA KERR

Born Anita Jean Grilli, 31 October 1927, Memphis, Tennessee

After rock & roll set back country record sales, the major Nashville
producers - Owen Bradley (Decca), Don Law (Columbia), Ken Nelson
(Capitol) and, most of all, Chet Atkins (RCA) - became intent on
making country records more appealing to pop audiences. They began
to produce singers backed by neutral rhythm sections and vocal choruses
instead of the traditional fiddles, banjos and steel guitars. A major figure
in the creation in this style, later known as the Nashville Sound, was
Anita Kerr, an influential vocal and instrumental arranger. Her group, the
Anita Kerr Singers, became a staple on countless recordings, helping to
considerably broaden country music's market.
Kerr took piano lessons from the age of four and she was soon appearing 
on her mother's radio show in Memphis. By the age of 14, she was the 
staff pianist and was making vocal arrangements of church music for the
station. In 1949, she formed the Anita Kerr Quartet with Gil Wright (tenor), 
Dorothy Ann "Dottie" Dillard (alto) and Louis Nunley (baritone) ; Kerr herself
sang soprano. Two years later they signed to Decca Records and established 
themselves as session singers, particularly in Nashville. By the early 60s, 
the quartet were featured on, it is estimated or alleged, a quarter of all the
country records being made in Nashville, including records by Eddy Arnold, 
Floyd Cramer, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow and Don Gibson, as well as pop
records by Brook Benton, Perry Como, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee and
Roy Orbison. 
Starting in 1961, Kerr became Chet Atkins's recording assistant at RCA
sessions, working as vocal group leader, arranger, and occasional producer,
her most successful production being "The End of the World" by Skeeter 
Davis. The Anita Kerr Quartet recorded on its own as well at times under
other names. As the Little Dippers, they scored a # 9 pop hit in March 1960
with the Buddy Killen composition "Forever", which also gave Pete Drake 
his only hit (1964). As Anita & th'So-And-Sos, they had another minor hit 
with "Joey Baby" in 1962. In the mid-60s, the Anita Kerr Quartet made 
several easy-listening albums, two of which (We Dig Mancini and South-
land Favorites) won Grammy awards (in the Best Vocal Group and Gospel
categories, respectively). Having established a new direction, Kerr relocated 
to Hollywood and created the Anita Kerr Singers, featuring Jackie Ward or 
B.J. Baker (sopranos), Gene Merlino (tenor), and Bob Tedow (bass).
Signing to Warner Brothers Records, the new outfit recorded compellingly
strange easy-listening music, several of which were released under the
Mexicali Singers moniker. They also accompanied Rod McKuen on his
bestselling poetry albums under the San Sebastian Strings moniker, and
appeared on the Smothers Brothers comedy sketch program. After a short 
spell at Dot Records, Kerr returned to Nashville and concentrated on the 
Christian music scene.

Website: http://www.countrypolitan.com/profile.php