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All Music Guide:
Jackie Lee was a British pop vocalist who enjoyed a long career in the music business, but received her greatest success for a pair of television theme songs. Born in North Dublin as Jacqueline Norah Flood on May 29, 1936, Jackie was raised in a household of music lovers -- her mother played piano and her father was a trained baritone vocalist -- and as a girl she won a scholarship to Dublin's Municipal School of Music, where she studied voice. By the age of 14, Flood was already singing professionally, appearing regularly with local dance bands and performing on Irish radio. In the early '50s, Flood relocated to London, England, to pursue her career and soon landed a prestigious gig as vocalist with Ronnie Aldrich's Squadronaires, a successful British dance band, where she took the professional name Jackie Lee. In 1955, Lee left the group to work as a solo act, and released her first single, "For So Long as I Live" b/w "I Was Wrong." In 1959, Lee and her manager Len Beadle (who was also her first husband) formed a vocal combo known as the Raindrops, who recorded for Parlophone/EMI, Oriole, and Philips, specializing in covers of American pop and rock hits. While the group made frequent radio and television appearances and can be seen in the film Just for You (aka Disk-O-Tek Holiday), they never scored a major hit, and the members parted company in 1965. That year, Lee relaunched her solo career with a new single for Decca, "I Cry Alone" b/w "Cause I Love Him," and over the next few years she remained busy as a session vocalist and singing commercial jingles. In 1968, Lee was hired to sing the theme song for a BBC television series for young people, White Horses, and when the show became a hit, Lee's recording of the signature tune became a major chart success, though it was credited simply to Jacky. Philips, who released the "White Horses" single, brought Lee back to cut an album, also called White Horses, which featured piano work from Dudley Moore. The album wasn't a major sales success, but Lee remained in demand, recording commercials and songs for film and television projects. In 1970, another one of Lee's television recordings brought her back to the pop charts when she sang the theme song for the children's show The Adventures of Rupert Bear, which became a Top Ten hit for Pye Records. Pye took Lee into the studio to cut an album to capitalize on "Rupert Bear"'s success, 1971's Jackie's Junior Choice, and a handful of fine singles followed. But Lee's busy recording and performance schedule took its toll, and she developed a throat condition that permanently changed the tone of her voice. In 1973, Lee retired from the music business, and after several years in the United States she settled in Canada. In the fall of 2007, Cherry Red Records released End of a Rainbow, an anthology of 26 sides Lee recorded for Pye between 1969 and 1973.
Wikipedia:
Jackie Lee (born Jacqueline Norah Flood, 29 May 1936, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish popular music singer, who has recorded under various names.
Career
Lee was a musical child prodigy. She won a scholarship and trained as a soprano for four years. Upon finishing her studies she became a vocalist with the top showbands playing prestigious Irish venues.
Lee experienced similar success when she moved to London and joined the popular dance band; The Squadronaires. In 1955 her first solo record was released, followed by a further two the next year.
From 1959 to 1964 Lee was a member of The Raindrops, a successful quartet who made countless appearances on British TV and variety shows, had a BBC Radio show and released a string of records, the majority of which had Lee as lead vocalist. The Raindrops also included Les Vandyke and Vince Hill in its line-up.
In 1962 she entered the UK heats of the Eurovision Song Contest as a solo act with "There's No-one in the Whole Wide World" and performed it at the British national finals for BBC TV. This number was later covered and performed by The Beatles in concerts during this period.
Lee decided to become a solo artist in 1965 and it is this period, 1965–1967, which defines her cult status through the 'Beat' records she released.
One of these recordings reached the NME chart however; "Just Like a Man". The B-side; "I Gotta Be With You", became a 'Northern Soul' classic. Lee recorded this single under the name of Emma Rede for EMI Records.
Lee also had an alternative career as a respected session singer, through her groups The Jackie Lee Singers and Tears of Joy. She provided the backing vocals for such global number ones as "Green Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones and "Release Me" by Englebert Humperdink.
She demonstrated her unique vocal range, ability and versatility on such diverse recordings as "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix; and much of the James Last catalogue at the time. At one point Elton John was employed by Lee, as a member of her session singers.
In 1968 - as 'Jacky' - she had a UK Top Ten hit with "White Horses", the theme from a Children's TV programme. In 2003, her definitive version was voted the best TV theme tune of all time by 'The Penguin Television Companion'. Her Jazz styled album of the same name was also released in 1968, which included contributions from Dudley Moore as pianist.
By 1970, 'Jacky' reverted to 'Jackie Lee' and had another hit record; "Rupert" from the TV show based on the famous cartoon character, Rupert Bear (erroneously referred to as "Rupert the Bear" in the song's lyrics). This recording also had a place in the "Best TV themes of all time" list from 'The Penguin Television Companion' at Number 7, thus consolidating Lee's reputation. Albums by her were also released in 1971 and 1972 on Pye Records.
In 1973, Jackie supplied the lead vocal for yet another children's series, "Inigo Pipkin"
It was shortly after this that she prematurely retired due to vocal complications and throat trouble, yet she remains a respected vocalist who has high collectability status, and, it has been said, that her work has "firmly embedded itself in the subconscious of a generation."
2007 saw the release of a CD entitled End Of A Rainbow - A Pye Anthology comprising all of Lee's later recordings, made for Pye Records between 1969 and 1973. A second CD, 'The Town I Live In', issued in 2009, collects all of her 1966/1967 recordings for EMI. Two further CD anthologies are planned.