Following are the most prominent of the wide range of artists who have performed Yip’s lyrics in shows and films and on recordings.
Eddie (“Rochester”) Anderson – Cabin in the Sky
Louis Armstrong – “Ain’t It de Truth” (cut from Cabin in the Sky); unfinished animated version of Finian’s Rainbow
Fred Astaire – 1968 film version of Finian’s Rainbow
Kate Baldwin – Finian’s Rainbow (2009-10 Broadway revival)
Tony Bennett – “Last Night When We Were Young,” “Old Devil Moon” and many other recordings
Joan Blondell – The Golddiggers of 1937
Ray Bolger – Life Begins at 8:40 and The Wizard of Oz
James Cagney – “In That Good Old Hoover Time” (CBS Radio Election Eve broadcast, Nov. 6, 1944)
Eva Cassidy – “Over the Rainbow” (Songbird CD)
Cab Calloway and His Band – The Singing Kid
Petula Clark – 1968 film version of Finian’s Rainbow
Rosemary Clooney – “Over the Rainbow,” “What Is There to Say,” others
Imogene Coca – The Garrick Gaieties; Shoot the Works!; New Faces of 1934
Barbara Cook – Flahooley; TV version of Bloomer Girl
Irwin Corey – Flahooley
Bing Crosby – “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” and other recordings
Doris Day — April in Paris (1952 film) and recordings
Marlene Dietrich – Kismet
Jimmy Durante – 40’s political campaign songs
Deanna Durbin – Can’t Help Singing
Ruth Etting – “I’m Yours” and “What Wouldn’t I Do for That Man”
Michael Feinstein – numerous recordings
Ella Fitzgerald — unfinished animated version of Finian’s Rainbow; recordings
Jane Froman – Ziegfeld Follies of 1934
Judy Garland – The Wizard of Oz; Babes on Broadway; other films and recordings
Mitzi Gaynor — Jollyanna
Robert Goulet – Gay Purr-ee
Kathryn Grayson – Rio Rita and Thousands Cheer
Jack Haley – The 20th Amendment and The Wizard of Oz
Evelyn Hoey – Leave It to Lester; The 20th Amendment; The Vanderbilt Revue; Walk a Little Faster
Celeste Holm – Bloomer Girl
Sterling Holloway – The Garrick Gaieties
Bob Hope – Ballyhoo of ‘32
Lena Horne – Cabin in the Sky; Jamaica; numerous recordings
Cheyenne Jackson- Finian’s Rainbow (2009-10 Broadway revival)
Al Jolson – The Singing Kid; Hold on to Your Hats; recordings
Ruby Keeler – Hold on to Your Hats national tour
Bert Lahr – Life Begins at 8:40; The Wizard of Oz; shows and recordings
Nathan Lane – “If I Only Had the Nerve,” “If I Were King of the Forest” (The Wizard of Oz in concert)
Leadbelly – “The Same Boat, Brother”
Jack Lemmon – Anyone for Tennyson? (PBS)
Beatrice Lillie – Walk a Little Faster
Ella Logan – Finian’s Rainbow
Jeanette MacDonald – Cairo
Groucho Marx – “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady”
Paul McCartney – “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (Kisses on the Bottom CD, 2012)
Joan McCracken – Bloomer Girl
Ethel Merman – “Satan’s Li’l Lamb”; “You’re a Builder-Upper”; The Devil Sea; Song Shopping
George Michael – “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (Songs of the Last Century CD)
Helen Morgan – Applause; Glorifying the American Girl
Matthew Morrison – “Over the Rainbow” duet with Gwyneth Paltrow (Matthew Morrison CD, 2011)
Lee Morse – A Million Me’s; Song Service
Clarence Muse – “Free and Equal Blues” (duet with Earl Robinson, CBS Radio, Nov. 6, 1944)
Clarence Nordstrom – They Call It Sin
Jim Norton – Finian’s Rainbow (2009-10 Broadway revival)
Virginia O’Brien – Ship Ahoy; DuBarry Was a Lady
Dick Powell – Stage Struck; Golddiggers of 1937; other films/recordings
Mandy Patinkin – “Over the Rainbow,” “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Eleanor Powell – Ship Ahoy
Josephine Premice — Jamaica
Harve Presnell – The Grate Mans Wiskurs
Vincent Price – Darling of the Day
Martha Raye – Hold on to Your Hats
Cyril Ritchard – The Happiest Girl in the World
Ginger Rogers – Office Blues; The Sap from Syracuse
Mickey Rooney – Babes in Arms; Babes on Broadway
Patricia Routledge – Darling of the Day
Charles Ruggles – Queen High
Janice Rule – The Happiest Girl in the World
Isabel Sanford – The Grate Mans Wiskurs
Frank Sinatra – Ship Ahoy; unfinished animated version of Finian’s Rainbow; recordings
Red Skelton – Ship Ahoy; Panama Hattie
Ann Southern – Panama Hattie
Lawrence Tibbett – “Last Night When We Were Young”
Mel Torme – “Last Night When We Were Young,” “Old Devil Moon,” others
Rudy Vallee – “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Sarah Vaughn – “Over the Rainbow,” “Then I’ll Be Tired of You,” many others
Vivian Vance – Hooray for What!
Tom Waits – “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Ethel Waters – Cabin in the Sky; Cairo
David Wayne – Finian’s Rainbow
Josh White – “Free and Equal Blues”
Lee Wiley – “Moanin’ in the Mornin’,” “Down with Love,” “Fun to Be Fooled”
Dooley Wilson – Cabin in the Sky; Bloomer Girl
Ed Wynn – Hooray for What!