• January 13, 1887 - February 9, 1966
• She was born Sonya Kalish to a Russian-Jewish family from Tulchyn, Podolia Governorate, Russian Empire. (It is now Vinnytsia Oblast, in the Ukraine) Sophie arrived in the United States at the age of three months.
• The Jewish family were en route to America, fleeing Russian persecution when Sophie entered this world. Tucker later wrote in her autobiography that she was born not on a vaudeville circuit, but the road between Russia and United States.
• One of her most famous songs was " My Yiddishe Momme". She performed it in large American cities where there were large Jewish audiences.
• Her signature song was "Some Of These Days." Tucker laid down the first of her several versions of it in 1911, one of ten that she recorded on wax cylinders for the Edison Company, for a fee of $1,000.
  
  The most successful version of the song was one where she was backed by Ted Lewis and his band in 1926. It stayed in the #1 position on the charts for five weeks and earned her a gold disc.
  
  Tucker titled her 1945 autobiography "Some Of These Days."
• When The Beatles played " Till There Was You" at the Royal Command Performance of 1963. Paul McCartney introduced the song as previously being performed "by our favorite American group, Sophie Tucker."
• Sophie Tucker greeted George V of the United Kingdom, in her 1934 Royal Command performance, by saying: "Hiya King!"
• She was so famous that when in 1962 Americans were asked what they thought on hearing the name Sophie, 95 per cent answered "Tucker."
• Tucker died of lung cancer and kidney failure on February 9, 1966. It was said she smoked so much that a friend's parrot would cough every time her name was mentioned.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Family AffairMary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige introduced three new words with her hit "Family Affair": hateration, holleration and dancerie.

Heaven KnowsRobert Plant

Robert Plant's "Heaven Knows" is a satirical look at the '80s, when style seemed to trump substance.

We Are All Made Of StarsMoby

Moby says that "We Are All Made Of Stars" is scientifically accurate, since all matter originates from stardust.

QuicksandBritney Spears

Before she was famous, Lady Gaga was a staff songwriter, and wrote the song "Quicksand," which Britney Spears recorded in 2008.

Red Red WineUB40

UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" was a minor hit when first released in 1983, but it went to #1 five years later when radio stations in Phoenix started playing it.

True CompanionMarc Cohn

When Marc Cohn played "True Companion" to his girlfriend, she thought he was proposing. He wasn't, but he did eventually marry her.

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?