I Sang That

Sally Stevens has been part of Hollywood’s music scene for decades. She is an accomplished singer and a recipient of the prestigious Ella Award. In her memoir, I Sang That, she reminisces on all that she’s done, who was with her, and what it feels like knowing so much about so many in the entertainment business.

She dipped in and out of gigs, crisscrossed California to Las Vegas and toured with icons like Elvis, Burt Bacharach, Nat King Cole, Herb Alpert and Sonny and Cher. She shared one detail about a mysterious music man she knew in the 1970’s, someone she dated and truly admired, but who was in a committed relationship back home in Nashville. He died in 2019, but even then, Stevens would not reveal his identity. Rather than spill all the juicy details of every person she has known, she shares only the relevant information. For the most part, she keeps private matters private. She gives us a peek behind show business’ glamorous façade, without ruining illusions or reputations. And even though I want to know more about this mysterious man and their time together, I respect Stevens’ choice to keep that detail private. In that way, Stevens is a class act.

Her voice work is part of The Simpsons, Family Guy, and the Oscars. Her film credits are pages long and include Dr. Zhivago, The Exorcist, The Flintstones and Shrek. She was also a vocal contractor who facilitated singer performance contracts for films and performances.

In her younger years, her stepfather was an Electrolux salesman and her mother was a studio singer. Her mother was the voice of one of the munchkins in The Wizard of Oz (the voice recordings were sped-up to create the munchkins’ memorable pitch). Stevens recalls with fondness Hollywood’s golden glory days while remaining practical in her approach to her work. With each change in the industry, she adjusted her own skills to remain relevant. She took lead contractor roles and remained active in the SAG and AFTRA unions, which allowed her to withstand technological and legal changes over the years. Stevens’ memoir underscores the importance of being flexible in our professional lives, and being open to finding our own lucky break.

She reflects on the loss of dear loved ones, including her brother. She shares the heartbreaking death of Sandra, a friend and tenant who lived in her attached studio space who was killed by methyl bromide poisoning from termite fumigation gone wrong. These types of losses change a person. They cause you to question how to go forward in your own life. Stevens shares all of this with us.

One area Stevens does not go into are the mechanics of sound mixing past and present. It's hard to tell if Stevens chose not to delve into this information because it was too technical, or if it was not an area of the business that she participated in. She does share her brush with the mob; her kind words about all three of her ex-husbands; and information about her own health scare.

It’s clear that Stevens has a love of fine arts and has passed it on to her daughter. Stevens’ only child is also in the business. In addition to Stevens’ musical career, she is also a Fine Arts Black and White Photographer and she has taken creative writing workshops through the Iowa Summer Writers’ Workshop. She remains active across artistic genres.

She voices a worry we all feel as we grow older. “When you work at something you love for fifty to sixty years it becomes your identity…[you worry] no one will remember you…no one will care…” But Stevens has little to worry about—she’s leaving quite a legacy in all of her work.

Thank you #NetGalley and #AtmospherePress for allowing me to read I Sang That.

This autobiography is interesting to hear about the unsung heroes of backing singer. Ms Stevens uses an interesting perspective in writing about her life by jumping back and forth in her timeframes which sometimes causes a little bit of repetition. This shouldn’t take away from the enjoyment and fascination of her life.

Providing her talent to such legendary artists such as Herb Albert, Elvis Presley, Burt Bachrach just to name a few and her extraordinary work on the Simpsons and Family Guys gives us a glimpse of the behind the scenes of this unsung hero.

Stevens keeps everything very private and although she does share details, she remains in providing privacy for other people which some may find annoying but for me, this helps gain her respect from my point of view. When she talks about herself though, she is very candid and open and honest. Sometimes, she does come across a bit hard on herself but this too, gives us more insight about this truly in awe of a person who looks and dissects her life.

This overall is a good read and recommend that if you want to know about the background of what makes music work and the legend behind the legend, then this book is for you. Excellent read.