Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Peggy Lee was paid $10 to record “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
A Top Ten hit for the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Peggy Lee’s signature recording of “Why Don’t You Do Right?” stayed on the charts for nearly five months in 1943.
It all started because Peggy couldn’t stop playing Lil Green’s version on a “funny little wind-up phonograph” in her dressing room. Benny came over from his room next door and offered to come up with an arrangement for their live sets.
The audience response was immediate. The recording followed, along with a scene in 'Stage Door Canteen' that put a face to the name, propelling the 23-year-old into national stardom.
“Benny paid me $10,” she later recalled, “and no royalties.” That was the standard deal at the time, when big band singers were often treated as “vocal instruments,” not true partners in the success of recordings.
So when she launched her solo career, Peggy Lee did something almost unheard of for a woman in music at the time. She took back control.
In a move that prefigured the Taylor Swift playbook by a couple generations, Peggy re-recorded “Why Don’t You Do Right?” for the nascent Capitol Records. Peggy’s version, with a fresh arrangement by Billy May, earned her a percentage from every record sold.
🎶 Get outta here… and get me some money too 💸
The Peggy Lee Discography has a detailed look into the origins of the song and links to Peggy’s many recordings and performances:
peggyleediscography.com/p/LeeResearchWhyRight.php
#PeggyLee #BennyGoodman #FemaleSingers #WomeninMusic #ArtistRights #WhyDontYouDoRight #MusicHistory #WomenInJazz
Peggy Lee was paid $10 to record “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
A Top Ten hit for the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Peggy Lee’s signature recording of “Why Don’t You Do Right?” stayed on the charts for nearly five months in 1943.
It all started because Peggy couldn’t stop playing Lil Green’s version on a “funny little wind-up phonograph” in her dressing room. Benny came over from his room next door and offered to come up with an arrangement for their live sets.
The audience response was immediate. The recording followed, along with a scene in 'Stage Door Canteen' that put a face to the name, propelling the 23-year-old into national stardom.
“Benny paid me $10,” she later recalled, “and no royalties.” That was the standard deal at the time, when big band singers were often treated as “vocal instruments,” not true partners in the success of recordings.
So when she launched her solo career, Peggy Lee did something almost unheard of for a woman in music at the time. She took back control.
In a move that prefigured the Taylor Swift playbook by a couple generations, Peggy re-recorded “Why Don’t You Do Right?” for the nascent Capitol Records. Peggy’s version, with a fresh arrangement by Billy May, earned her a percentage from every record sold.
🎶 Get outta here… and get me some money too 💸
The Peggy Lee Discography has a detailed look into the origins of the song and links to Peggy’s many recordings and performances:
peggyleediscography.com/p/LeeResearchWhyRight.php
#PeggyLee #BennyGoodman #FemaleSingers #WomeninMusic #ArtistRights #WhyDontYouDoRight #MusicHistory #WomenInJazz
