Betty Hutton

Artist: Betty Hutton

LP: 7" single

Song: "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad"

[ listen ]

I just wrote an extra verse:

 Well a fella broke a window and crawled into my place

when I wasn't home to hit him or spray him with some mace

He took a little money and my camera too

and he left my front door open after he got through

That made me mad—boy!

Hot Dog! That made me mad!

If I knew who the thief was, I'd hug him and I'd kiss him and I'd ask him not to do it again. The good news is that I've finally got renter's insurance. The other good news is that, even though it's been discontinued for several years, Electronic Bargains in Brockton, MA still had a brand new iKEY—one that they'd just found in storage a week before I called them. They shipped it off to me and it showed up yesterday, so now I can make mp3s again. (I can't photograph my albums yet, but the sleeves for 7" records fit on the scanner at my work, so I'll be posting lots of singles for a while.) The other good news is that a week after the break-in, I found my laptop and headphones stowed safely in the trunk of my car. I'd evidently put them there when I drove to work after spending the night with my dad at the hospital a few days before the robbery. I was also fortunate that my burglar was boring, taking things like loose change, bad cologne and home electronics, but leaving all my records behind—including this wonderful 1954 Betty Hutton single. Born Elizabeth June Thornburg in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1921, Betty Hutton rose from humble beginnings to become Paramount Studios' #1 female star in the mid-1940s. She's one of my favorite singers and comediennes, and if you've never seen her in the Preston Sturges comedy "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," I recommend it. You can read all about Betty Hutton's incredible life and career (and learn about her connection to Kristin Hersh, one of my other favorite singers) on Wikipedia here, find her New York Times obituary here, and watch the one-of-a-kind Betty Hutton in action by clicking on the video link below.

Betty Hutton on YouTube:

[ "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" ]

[ Betty Hutton: February 26, 1921 — March 12, 2007 ]