"AND THE ANGEL SINGS ..." The Career of Martha Tilton (original) (raw)

Introduction by Tom Oehme

This website is dedicated to a wonderful singer and her many fans. Martha's music has stood the test of time and she is, in person, a delightful lady to know.

I really started enjoying Big Band/Swing music in 2000. My folks listened to it as I grew up, but it wasn't until June 2000 that I fully appreciated it myself; now it's the only music my wife and I listen to. That eventful day in June was the "World War II Weekend" at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania. At this event, the Air Museum held a Swing dance in the evening; my wife and I became enraptured with the music and swing dancing.

As we began seeking places to listen to and dance to this great music, I purchased a CD released by the History Channel, titled "Till Then." Along with other selections, this CD included the song "And The Angels Sing" by Martha Tilton.

I fell in love with that song and wanted to find more recordings by Martha. I soon laid my hands on two CDs featuring Martha, "The Capitol Years" and "Standard Transcriptions." I found that Digital Music Express and XM Radio had Big Band/Swing channels and started to listen in, discovering that Martha was featured regularly. I was in heaven, a heaven occupied by that angelic Martha Tilton.

Of course, I started checking the Internet for information on Martha and found bits and pieces scattered over thousands of web sites. Through this search, I became extremely interested in her career and life. I became a regular buyer of her recordings and memorabilia on eBay. I have collected every CD, record, movie, tape or piece of memorabilia I could find. From this treasure trove, I have included three magazine articles you can read in this site; these really give an idea of her personality.

In December 2005, I met Rex Strother, a Tilton fan who had built a website for his two aunts, "The Bell Sisters" of early 1950s fame. I was impressed with his site and the information available there. I suggested it would be great to do something similar for the neglected Martha and he immediately agreed that we should work together on it.

You will not only find information about Martha's career, but through contact with and the help of Martha and her daughter and son, we have been able to include personal information about her and her family.

Also contained herein is a discography that I assembled, chronicling over 400 song recordings Martha made during her career. We've included a biography, as well as her thoughts on various subjects, including her favorite recordings. In any correspondence, we would especially appreciate knowing your age to help us determine the age of her fans; we believe her music is still being discovered by a younger audience.

If you have anything you would like to add to this site, we would love to include it. Contact us via email (link below) and we will help you get it entered. Likewise, all questions will be answered promptly and to the best of our knowledge.

We hope you enjoy this site as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you, her fans.

Tom Oehme

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