Mabel Mercer & Bobby Short

Respected and honored by her peers, cabaret singer Mabel Mercer was one of the strongest song interpreters in traditional pop, a large influence on singers including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as well as a ready rediscoverer of once-forgotten nuggets like "Fly Me to the Moon." Born in Staffordshire, England, Mercer was the child of American jazz singer Warren Mercer, Sr. (who died before Mabel's birth), and British music hall actress Gertrude Doak. Though she was classically trained in voice, her professional debut came as a dancer, while she was still in her teens. Merc...