Marlene VerPlanck

Who is Marlene VerPlanck?

Marlene Paula VerPlanck is an American jazz and pop vocalist whose oeuvre centers around big band jazz, the American songbook, and caberet. VarPlanck's debut album, I Think of You with Every Breath I Take, was released in 1955 when she was 21, and featured Hank Jones, Joe Wilder, Wendell Marshall, Kenny Clarke, and Herbie Mann. VerPlanck then went to work as a vocalist for Charlie Spivak's band, and later sang with the Tommy Dorsey band.

VerPlanck was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. She was married to trombonist and arranger J. William VerPlanck for 52 years — from 1955 until 2009, when he died.

Despite a long and successful career, often as a studio backing vocalist, she did not release another solo album until Marlene VerPlanck loves Johnny Mercer in 1979. Since then she has released many, mostly on the Audiophile label, and has toured extensively as a soloist.

VerPlanck was a prolific studio vocalist for jingles, which included singing an arrangement of the 1930s Campbell's Soup M'm M'm Good song.