Vallee, Rudy

Wavy-haired Rudy Vallee was the first star—and arguably the father—of the relaxed, intimate singing style known as “crooning.” With his trademark megaphone, which he used to amplify his thin, nasal voice, Vallee became one of the most popular performers of the late-1920s and 1930s, with hits such as “My Time Is Your Time” and “I'm Just a Vagabond Lover.” He admitted, rather candidly, “I never had much of a voice … one reason...