Morgana King | |
|---|---|
 King in 1968 | |
| Born | Maria Grazia Morgana Messina June 4, 1930 Pleasantville, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2018 (aged 87) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1946–1998 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Ascot, EmArcy, Mainstream, Mercury, Muse, Paramount, Reprise, Savoy, United Artists, Verve, Wing |
Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), better known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.[1][2][3] She began a professional singing career at sixteen years old. In her twenties, she was singing at a Greenwich Village nightclub when she was recognized for her unique phrasing and vocal range, described as a four-octave contralto range. She was signed to a label and began recording solo albums. She recorded dozens of albums well into the late 1990s.
King had her debut and breakout role in film as Mama Corleone in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974).[4][5] She had roles in three additional films including her last performance in A Brooklyn State of Mind in 1997.
She was twice married to fellow jazz musicians, first to Tony Fruscella and later to Willie Dennis. Morgana died on March 22, 2018, in Palm Springs, California.[6]
- ^ Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album The Complete Reprise Recordings (2000).
- ^ Liner notes by Ed Osborne – Morgana King re-issue album It's A Quite Thing (2006).
- ^ Beverly Kenny Sings For Johnny Smith. Toshiba EMI Japan 1955 song "Moe's Blues", track listing 11.
- ^ Nichols, Peter M. The New York Times Guide to the Best 1000 Movies Ever Made (2004), p. 390; ISBN 0-312-32611-4
- ^ Maltin, Leonard Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide (2008), p. 530; ISBN 0-452-28978-5
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (August 15, 2018). "Morgana King, Jazz Singer and 'Godfather' Actor, Is Dead at 87". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 17, 2018.