The late 1950s was a time in which the new rock and roll sound shared airtime with songs from the previous era, such as this one. Songs such as this aren't really my thing but I grew up when rock and its pop variants had taken over.
Margaret Whiting (1924-2011) had a successful career as a popular music singer in the 1940s and 1950s that was winding down at the time this was released. Between 1942 and 1956, she reached the Top 30 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart a total of 48 times, which is a very impressive accomplishment.
Her version of "Speak For Yourself, John" didn't reach the Billboard chart. On the CHUM radio station, it shared airtime with Cathy Carr's version of the same song, which did slightly better, reaching #27 on the CHUM chart. (Ms. Carr had three songs on the chart, including "Sailor Boy", released in 1963.) I didn't notice much difference between the two versions, based on the fragments that I listened to - I couldn't finish either one.
After her recording career wound down, Ms. Whiting was a regular guest on variety shows and talk shows through the 1970s. In the last years of her life, she was regularly interviewed for documentaries on singers and songwriters from her era.
Created January 9, 2026.