Peggy Lee was the essence of cool in the world of hot jazz, the small-town blonde who could sing blues, bebop, swing and rock. She learned her craft singing in smoky clubs, and traveling on trains with big bands in the wee hours of the night. Jazz royalty called her one of their own. “If I’m the duke, man, Peggy Lee is the queen,” decreed Duke Ellington, adding, “I consider her as great a musician as Frank Sinatra, who in that world is king.”   Sinatra offered his take on the matter: “Peg is just about the best friend a song ever had.” 

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this edition about Peggy Lee was produced in 1999 by Karen Michel – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. 

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com