DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Cabaret singer Mary Cleere Haran has died after a bicycle accident in Florida at the age of 58.
Haran, known for her interpretations of classic American songs, was hit by a car Thursday in Deerfield Beach and died in a hospital Saturday without regaining consciousness, a friend told The New York Times.
A singer whose style was influenced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Haran made her Manhattan cabaret debut in 1988. The songs of Rodgers and Hart were a staple of her act, along with the repertory of Johnny Mercer, the Gershwins and others.
The San Francisco-born Haran moved to New York in the 1970s and made her theatrical debut as a band singer in "The 1940s Radio Hour."
She made her recording debut in 1992 with "There's a Small Hotel: Live at the Algonquin," followed by several other albums.
Haran interviewed her idol Doris Day for a PBS documentary, "Doris Day: Sentimental Journey," which she wrote and co-produced, and contributed to "Remembering Bing," "Irving Berlin's America," "When We Were Young: The Lives of Child Movie Stars" and "Satchmo."
Haran is survived by her son, Jacob Gilford; six siblings: Terence, Bronwyn Harris, Brigid, Ned, Tim and Eithne Bullick; and other relatives.
