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Artist
Morgana King
12+ albums
jazzvocal jazzfemale vocalistssoulfemale vocalist
about
Morgana King (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018) was an American jazz singer and actress. She began singing at a young age and 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 Carmela Corleone in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). She had roles in three additional films including her latest 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. Her parents were from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Province of Catania, Sicily, Italy. She grew up in New York City with five siblings. Her father, who owned a coal and ice business, played the piano and guitar by ear. Her family experienced a difficult financial period after her father died. Around the age of thirteen her vocal gifts were recognized when she was overheard singing the aria "I'll See You Again" from Noël Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet. At age 16 she developed a love for big bands. A scholarship to the Metropolitan School of Music soon followed. Her professional singing career began at age sixteen as Morgana King. When s
