Elly Stone

Elly Stone (born May 30, 1927) is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.

Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway musical "I Can Get It for You Wholesale". In 1968, she achieved recognition as one of the stars of the Off-Broadway revue "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris", which was co-written by her husband, Eric Blau. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909210,00.html “Alive and Well,” Time Magazine] ]

Stone stayed with the Off-Broadway production for two years, and appeared with Brel in 1970 French television special. She later starred in the 1972 Broadway incarnation of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" and in the 1975 motion picture version, produced by the American Film Theatre. Although she appeared in other theatrical productions and enjoyed success as a cabaret and concert headliner, including a 1980 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York celebrating her 25th anniversary in the entertainment industry, Stone’s identification with Brel remained strong. In 2006, she provided an Off-Broadway revival of revue "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" with previously unseen English-language translations by Eric Blau of Brel’s music. [ [http://www.playbill.com/features/article/98513.html “Déjà Vu, Monsieur Brel” Playbill] ]

“Jacques Brel's music is effective because it deals with the most basic of human passions,” said Stone in a 2008 interview with the Marin Independent-Journal. “It's all about the human condition. When you're dealing with something like that, it's not bound by time. It makes people feel." [ [http://origin.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_9337296 "IJ Weekend: Humor, irony shine in 'Jacques Brel' cabaret" Marin Independent-Journal] ] Elly made various Recordings in her great career. Besides the Jacques Brel Original cast Recording and the Soundtrack Recording. She released ELLY STONE on Columbia Records which now can be found on EBAY. She also recorded a variety of JEWISH FOLK SONGS on the Tikva label in which she sang and played guitar. In the late 70's she released a Album on Eebee Records entitled "The Spirit of 76" Which has some great contemporary sounds for her. All in all she is a great singer. It is just too bad she did not do more with her career. Hoping there are a few more recordings out there that are missing for all her great fans.

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831857/ Elly Stone in the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=61218 Elly Stone in the Internet Broadway Database]