Marlene VerPlanck

Marlene Paula VerPlanck (née Pampinella; November 11, 1933 – January 14, 2018) was an American jazz and pop vocalist whose body of work centered on big band jazz, the American songbook, and cabaret. Her father, Anthony J. Pampinella, operated a gasoline station there, and her mother was Pauline A. Biase, whose family ran an Italian restaurant. She married trombonist, composer, and arranger J. William "Billy" VerPlanck (1930–2009) in 1955, and he became her musical collaborator and champion.

VerPlank graduated from Bloomfield High School, and considered a career in journalism. VerPlanck then went to work as a vocalist for Charlie Spivak's band, and later sang with the Tommy Dorsey band and with Tex Beneke′s band. She recorded thousands of jingles, often for low pay, although her fortunes changed when she sang an arrangement of the 1930s Campbell's Soup "M'm M'm Good" song, which became widely known.

VerPlanck last performed in December 2017 at a jazz club in New York City. She died of pancreatic cancer at a hospital in Manhattan, New York City on January 14, 2018, aged 84 and was buried at Mt. Olivet cemetery in Bloomfield.

Discography As leader I Think of You with Every Breath I Take (Savoy, 1956) A Breath of Fresh Air (Mounted, 1968) This Happy Feeling (Mounted, 1969) You'd Better Love Me (Audiophile, 1977) Marlene VerPlanck Loves Johnny Mercer (Audiophile, 1978) A New York Singer (Audiophile, 1980) A Warmer Place (Audiophile, 1982) I Like to Sing! (Audiophile, 1984) All Aglow Again with Steve Clayton (Sovereign, 1986) Marlene VerPlanck Sings Alec Wilder (Audiophile, 1986) Pure & Natural (Audiophile, 1987) A Quiet Storm (Audiophile, 1990) Live! in London (Audiophile, 1993) You Gotta Have Heart: The Songs of Richard Adler (Varese Sarabande, 1997) What Are We Going to Do with All This Moonlight? (Audiophile, 1998) My Impetuous Heart (DRG, 2000) Speaking of Love (Audiophile, 2002) It's How You Play the Game (Audiophile, 2004) Now (Audiophile, 2005) Once There Was a Moon (Audiophile, 2009) One Dream at a Time (Audiophile, 2010) Ballads, Mostly (Audiophile, 2013) I Give Up, I'm in Love (Audiophile, 2014) The Mood I'm In (Audiophile, 2016)

As guest or part of ensemble With J. J. Johnson Goodies (RCA Victor, 1965)

With the John LaSalle Quartet Jumpin' at the Left Bank (Capitol, 1959) Potluck (Capitol, 1959)

With the Glenn Miller Orchestra In the Digital Mood (GRP, 1983)