25 - North Dakota, Norma Deloris Egstrom, Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee is one of the most notable people born and raised in North Dakota. Continuing her six decade career to win multiple lifetime achievement awards along with many others.

North Dakota is the 20th State to pass the Nineteenth Amendment on December 1, 1919.


Norma Deloris Egstrom, more commonly known as Peggy Lee, was an American Jazz and Popular music singer dominating the 1940’s-1950’s. In 1995, she was awarded a Lifetime Grammy Achievement Award following her twelve Grammys and many achievement awards. In 1999, she was also inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

Her career spanned a total of six decades, starting as a young radio singer into a rounded performer of song, music, and acting. She was a songwriter that created music out of her poetry. Her first career singing on a North Dakota station KOVC grew to including in her on many stations throughout the area. In 1941 she was offered a position in a restaurant in Chicago where she met Benny Goodman and joined his band for two years. Thee, she met her husband causing them both to leave due to standings that band members were not to date. She continued through the 1940’s releasing number 1 hits and touring with leading singers and groups.

Her acting career had similar highs with a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “Pete Kelley’s Blues” in 1955. She was also a voice for many characters in “Lady and the Tramp” Disney film.

Following her death, a tribute at Carnegie Hall 2003 brought leading performers together to tribute her long career, going on tour for two more years.

Why this woman?

Looking for my North Dakota woman led me down many dead ends until finding Peggy Lee. Her contributions to music is relevant even today. She came from an area that I would imagine in that time was hard to be noticed. Even today with North Dakota populations growing, it is a remote state, subtly pointing out its strengths.

Peggy Lee is as renowned as you can get winning not only top honors but highest of recognitions. It is a lifetime of achievements that brought herself to where she got.

What especially warmed my heart is knowing her role in “The Lady and the Tramp”, voicing for Peg, the dog, and my favorite, the two Siamese cats. So now this week I will continue to sing “We are Siamese if you please ...”

Oh ... The kitties.

Location: North Dakota, USA

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