Mary MacGregor
Mary MacGregor (born 6 May 1948, St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American singer, best known for singing the 1976 song, "Torn Between Two Lovers".
Mary MacGregor |
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Career
Born in St. Paul, MacGregor began studying piano at age six, and was singing with bands by the time she was a teenager. After attending the University of Minnesota, MacGregor began to tour the country with various acts and caught the attention of Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary. She soon joined Yarrow, singing backup on a solo tour, and made an appearance on his Love Songs album.
Signed to the Ariola America record label, MacGregor released her debut single, "Torn Between Two Lovers", in late 1976. The new year saw the single top both the pop charts and adult contemporary charts, selling over a million copies. Two further singles from the album of the same name, also written and produced by Yarrow, charted but were overwhelmed by the success of the title track.
MacGregor admitted in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson that she hated her own chart-topper, chiefly because she had little sympathy for the narrator of "Torn Between Two Lovers," a woman who confesses to her husband that she is having an affair but pleads with her husband to stay with her and accept the situation. MacGregor also said that the song indirectly led to the breakup of her own marriage, not because she cheated on her husband (which she denied having ever done), but because her career kept her away from home so often that her relationship with her husband strained and they decided to separate. At the same time, MacGregor acknowledged that the song was a hit because it appealed to listeners who had found themselves in the situation described in the lyrics.
She would release several more albums, and have three more minor chart singles (including the number 39 hit "Good Friend" in 1979, from the Bill Murray film Meatballs).
In 1980, Mary won best song & best performance at the 'World Popular Song Festival' In Tokyo, Japan with the song "What's The Use" in which she co-worte, before essentially retiring from the music industry business.
She is also mentioned on "The Steamboat Album" as doing vocals for one of the tracks named, "Rabbit Ears". The album was recorded by Yampa River Records in 1976 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
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Single Discography
- "Torn Between Two Lovers" (November 1976) U.S. #1 Pop/#1 AC (certified Gold)
- "This Girl (Has Turned Into A Woman)" (April 1977) U.S. #46 Pop/#27 AC
- "For A While" (August 1977) U.S. #90 Pop/#38 AC
- "I've Never Been to Me" (April 1978) U.S. #29 AC (better known version by Charlene)
- "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" (November 1978) U.S. #81 Pop/#23 AC
- "Good Friend" (August 1979) U.S. #39 Pop/#11 AC
- "Dancin' Like Lovers" (April 1980) U.S. #72 Pop/#31 AC
Album Discography
- Torn Between Two Lovers
- ...In Your Eyes (Ariola America, 1978)
- Greatest Hits (Ariola America, 1979)
- Mary MacGregor (RSO Records, 1980)