'The Singing Rage' is Stilled!

Patti Page passed away the other day at the age of 85. 

I would imagine there are a lot of folks under 50 who’ll scratch their heads and ask, “Who?” 

Patti, known as “The Singing Rage” sold, during her 50-plus-years of recording, well over 100 million records including one of the biggest selling songs of all-time, “The Tennessee Waltz."

In the 1950s she starred in musical variety series on all three major networks, later trying her hand at film, including “Elmer Gantry” and the popular 60s comedy film, “Boys Night Out.” There were also stage musicals, a hugely popular nightclub act a Grammy in the late 90s for her memorable Carnegie Hall concert and right up until she was 80, lots of singing. 

Although she was born in Oklahoma, Patti beamed with pride whenever she talked about her adopted state of New Hampshire. She and her husband Jerry owned a Maple Syrup Farm in Bath, and regularly spent big chunks of time in our state. She spoke warmly of the folks in New Hampshire and how welcoming they were when she moved here. 

I had the good fortune to work with Patti in putting together some fundraising concerts in 2001 and 2002. She was very easy to work with and asked for little more than a stage on which to sing and a microphone to make sure, “all those good people get to hear every note.” She wasn’t a “Diva” but was gracious, accommodating and could move an audience with the power of her voice – still like honey after all those years. 

A few weeks after the tragedy of Sept. 11, I brought her to Manchester’s Palace Theatre where she demonstrated to a packed house why she remained a formidable singing presence. 

Manchester’s then Mayor, Bob Baines, a huge Page fan, declared the day “Patti Page Day” in the Queen City and hosted her at City Hall where he led a spontaneous singing tribute to Page with one of her most memorable hits, “Old Cape Cod.” She was delighted. 

At the conclusion of her Manchester show, she asked everyone to stand and join her in singing “God Bless America” as a tribute to the country she loved so much. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

In 2002, I put together a three city tour for Patti in her beloved New Hampshire. She opened at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, then played the Capitol Center in Concord and concluded the tour at the Lebanon Opera House. 

During intermission Patti and Jerry made syrup from their farm available in the lobby including their famous “Singing Syrup.” A computer chip embedded in the cap featured Patti’s voice espousing the joys of syrup from NH when you unscrewed the cap. They sold tens of thousands of dollars of syrup turning the profits back over to the New Hampshire non-profits that were benefiting from the three concerts. In addition, the concerts raised an enormous amount of money to help those three agencies continue to provide free services to hundreds of Granite Staters. 

The 1,300 attendees who packed the Capitol Center made the evening a veritable sing-a-long during the portion of the program when Patti launched into a lengthy medley of more than a dozen of her gold record hits. 

The years were erased from the faces of the audience as they joined in on such standards as “Allegheny Moon,” “Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte,” “With My Eyes Wide Open I’m Dreaming,” “Mockingbird Hill,” “Cross Over the Bridge” and barking loudly to “How Much is that Doggie in the Window.”

Then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen made an appearance, thanking Patti and Jerry for promoting New Hampshire at every turn. 

Patti Page leaves an enviable record of success as a performer but also a notable legacy as a caring and concerned human being. 

Patti’s love for New Hampshire was second only to the love and affection that the people of New Hampshire felt for her.