Doris Day, who died May 13 at the age of 96, was one of the great voices of the 20th century, though, as with her acting, the apparent ease with which she performed could hide that fact. Day began, still in her teens, as a big band singer before moving inevitably into movies. Pure and perfectly pitched, informal and intimate, with every consonant and vowel present and accounted for, her voice was a great instrument of communication. Like her contemporary Judy Garland – they were born months apart, in 1922 – Day was casually modern, always real and completely presently; their work doesn't date, even if the pictures and songs and arrangements do. Unlike Garland, there was nothing fragile about her: Day's real romantic life was marked by some bad choices, but even in her songs of longing and disappointment, one feels that things will turn out well, eventually.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 14, 2019 12:00 UTC