The Resume

(August 16, 1915-April 24, 2001)
Born in Tyro, Mississippi
Birth name is Albert George Hibbler
Vocalist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1943 - 51)
Recorded 'Lover Come Back to Me,' 'Danny Boy,' 'Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me,' 'I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues,' 'I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So,' 'He,' 'Never Turn Back,' and 'After the Lights Go Down Low'
Best known for his hit cover of the song 'Unchained Melody' (1955)

Why he might be annoying:

His last name sounds like Himmler.
His birth name has been variously reported as either Albert or Andrew.
He failed in his first audition for Duke Ellington.
He later left the Ellington band after he was refused a salary raise to fifty dollars.
He trademarked a snarling imitation-cockney accent in his vocal delivery.
His style was panned by one newspaper as 'over-stated,' 'full of idiosyncrasies,' and relying on 'bizarre vocal pyrotechnics' (actually he sounded a little like Burt Reynolds in 'All Dogs Go To Heaven').

Why he might not be annoying:

He was blind from birth.
He got his start singing in the choir of a school for the blind.
He was described as one of Duke Ellington's 'best vocalists.'
He won the Esquire New Star Award (1947).
He won the Down Beat award for Best Band Vocalist (1949).
'Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me' reached #6 on the Billboard pop chart in 1944.
His cover of 'Unchained Melody' reached # 3 on the US pop chart.
The 'Unchained' cover also sold over one million copies, and was awarded a Gold Disc (1955).
He was active in the Civil Rights movement and was arrested twice for taking part in anti-segregation marches.
His career never recovered from the publicity surrounding the arrests and he recorded sparingly after completing an LP as a favor for Frank Sinatra, in 1961.
He became the first blind performer, preceding Ray Charles (whom he influenced), to achieve popularity as an entertainer.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• BoyWiththeGreenHair’s Profiles [Series 11]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [August] (Ranked: 8161915)
• Civil Rights Activists
• Ed Sullivan Show Guests
• Hoarse Raspy Voices
• I Covered 'Danny Boy'
• I Covered 'Unchained Melody'
• I Died in 2001 (Ranked: 85)
• I Ditched My Band
• I Have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[F-I]
• I Sing About New York
• Look at Me, I'm a Man in Shades
• Look at My Album Cover
• My Music was Lost in the 2008 Universal Studios Fire
• My Nickname is Part of My Name [A-L]
• Profiles 43751-43954 (Ranked: 43755)
• Raspy Voices
• Visually Impaired
• Wannabe Brits

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying