John Morton Downey, known as Morton Downey, was born on November 14, 1901, in Wallingford, Connecticut. He began his singing career as a choir member at Most Holy Trinity Church and gained popularity as an American singer in the first half of the 20th century. Downey's breakthrough came with recordings for Edison Records in 1923 and Victor in 1924. He recorded for Brunswick Records from 1925 to 1929, achieving a hit in the show Palm Beach Nights in 1926. Downey's signature sound was a high-timbred Irish tenor voice, and he toured major cities across the US and Europe. In 1930, he started making national radio broadcasts and was voted America's "Radio Singer of the Year" in 1932. He recorded for various labels including ARC, Decca Records, and Columbia Records. Downey appeared on television from 1949 onwards, hosting shows like The Mohawk Showroom. He died following a stroke in Palm Beach, Florida, on October 25, 1985.
