Timeline Albums, EPs & singles Songs Films Concerts Sessions People Interviews Articles

Hello, Dolly!

Written by Jerry HermanUnreleased song


Related session

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

From Wikipedia:

“Hello, Dolly!” is the title song of the popular 1964 musical of the same name. Louis Armstrong’s version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

The music and lyrics were written by Jerry Herman, who also wrote the scores for many other popular musicals including Mame and La Cage aux Folles.

History

“Hello, Dolly!” was first sung by Carol Channing, who starred as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the original 1964 Broadway cast. In December 1963, at the behest of his manager, Louis Armstrong made a demonstration recording of “Hello, Dolly!” for the song’s publisher to use to promote the show. Hello, Dolly! opened on January 16, 1964, at the St. James Theatre in New York City, and it quickly became a major success.

The same month, Kapp Records released Armstrong’s publishing demo as a commercial single. His version reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ending the Beatles’ streak of 3 chart-topping hits in a row over 14 consecutive weeks. “Hello Dolly!” became the most successful single of Armstrong’s career, followed by a Gold-selling album of the same name. The song also spent nine weeks atop the adult contemporary chart shortly after the opening of the musical. The song also made Armstrong the oldest artist ever to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 since its introduction in 1958. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 3 song of 1964, behind the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.”

“Hello, Dolly!” won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1965, and Armstrong received a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance, Male. Louis Armstrong also performed the song (together with Barbra Streisand) in the popular 1969 film Hello, Dolly!. […]


Bootlegs

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2024 • Please note this site is strictly non-commercial. All pictures, videos & quoted texts remain the property of the respective copyright owner, and no implication of ownership by us is intended or should be inferred. Any copyright owner who wants something removed should contact us and we will do so immediately. Alternatively, we would be delighted to provide credits.