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Kitty Kallen

Katie "Kitty" Kallen (born May 25, 1921 – January 7, 2016) was an American singer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, including the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-World War II pop scene, and the early years of rock 'n roll. Kallen performed with popular big band leaders of the 1940s, including Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James, before establishing a solo career.

She is best known for her 1954 solo recording '"Little Things Mean a Lot", a song that stayed at the U.S. Billboard number one spot for nine consecutive weeks and took top honor as 1954's #1 song of the year, charted in the U.S. for almost seven months, hit No. 1 on the UK singles chart, and sold more than two million copies. Voted "most popular female singer" in 1954 in both Billboard and Variety polls, Kallen lost her voice at the London Palladium in 1955 at the top of her career and stopped singing before an audience for four years. After testing her voice under a pseudonym in small town venues, she ultimately returned and went on to achieve 13 top-ten career hits.

Birth and Death Data: Born Philadelphia (largest city in Pennsylvania, United States), Died January 7, 2016 (Cuernavaca (capital of the State of Morelos, Mexico) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1943 - 1957

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 84 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia HCO1126 10-in. 11/21/1944 I'm beginning to see the light Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1200 10-in. 1/3/1945 I wish I knew Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1227 10-in. 1/18/1945 I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1228 10-in. 1/18/1945 I don't care who knows it Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1235 10-in. 1/22/1945 11:60 P.M. Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1273 10-in. 2/14/1945 Yah-ta-ta, yah-ta-ta Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1371 10-in. 4/25/1945 Oh, brother! Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1409 10-in. 5/30/1945 I'll buy that dream Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia HCO1594 10-in. 11/7/1945 Baby, what you do to me Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10147 10-in. 3/12/1952 To be loved by you Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10148 10-in. 3/12/1952 Like the moon above you Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10149 10-in. 3/12/1952 When I dream (I always dream of you) Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10150 10-in. 3/12/1952 Still you'd break my heart Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia CO35081 10-in. 7/24/1945 It's been a long, long time Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia CO35098 10-in. 8/7/1945 The wonder of you Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia CO35107 10-in. 8/20/1945 Waitin' for the train to come in Harry James Orchestra ; Kitty Kallen Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Decca 84907 7/27/1953 Are you looking for a sweetheart Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 84908 7/27/1953 Lonely Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 84909 7/27/1953 Heartless heart Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 84910 7/27/1953 A little lie Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 85625 12/30/1953 Take everything but you Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 85626 12/30/1953 Little things mean a lot Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 85627 12/30/1953 I don't think you love me anymore Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 85628 12/30/1953 In the chapel in the moonlight Kitty Kallen vocalist  
Decca 86515 7/2/1954 It's not the whistle (that pulls the train) Kitty Kallen vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 84 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kallen, Kitty," accessed December 29, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/324526.

Kallen, Kitty. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 29, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/324526.

"Kallen, Kitty." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 29 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/324526

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