Annette Warren

Annette Warren
Born	(1922-07-11) July 11, 1922 (age 102) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, jazz stylist
Years active	1947–present
Spouse	Paul Smith ​ ​ (m. 1958; died 2013)​
Children	4, including Lauri Johnson

Annette Warren (born July 11, 1922) is an American vocalist and jazz stylist who dubbed the singing voices of such stars as Lucille Ball in Sorrowful Jones (1949) and Fancy Pants (1950), and Ava Gardner in the 1951 film version of Show Boat.[1][2][3] She was still actively performing in 2017 at the age of 95.[4]

Early life

Warren was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 11, 1922.[5] She was discovered in 1945 by vocal coach and arranger Phil Moore, who arranged her first recordings.[6] She made her radio debut October 4, 1946, on Meredith Willson's Sparkle Time program on CBS.[7]

Career

Warren headlined clubs and theaters in London and across the U.S., including the Bon Soir, the Blue Angel and the St. Regis Hotel Maisonette in New York City and Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills. She co-starred as Mrs. Peachum in the off-Broadway revival of The Threepenny Opera with Jerry Orbach, Ed Asner and Beatrice Arthur and was also seen in the musical Livin' The Life with Alice Ghostley and Edward Villella.[8]

Warren's television appearances include The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Liberace Show, and The Summer Chevy Show. She also was seen on screen in the films Midnight Frolics[9] and The Devil's Sleep.[10]

Her first dubbing assignment was for the film Lured in 1947, followed by The Paleface in 1948, in which she sang for Iris Adrian. She dubbed the singing voice for Lucille Ball in Sorrowful Jones in 1949,^[citation needed] and Fancy Pants in 1950.[11] The following year, she auditioned to sing for Ava Gardner in MGM's remake of Show Boat (1951 film)[12] and won the job over such other applicants as Dinah Shore and Lee Wiley.[1] She also provided all of the female voices for John Hubley's UPA short Rooty Toot Toot,[13] which was voted No. 41 of the "50 Greatest Cartoons" of all time[14] and was nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Animated Short Film".[15] She is also notable for recognizing the talent of Connie Converse, and for incorporating her songs into her permanent repertoire.[16]

Warren recorded for such labels as Capitol Records,[17] Verve Records,[18] ABC Paramount Records,[19] and Outstanding Records,[20] and was married for 54 years to jazz musician Paul Smith, with whom she also occasionally performed.[21] She co-starred over a 20-year period with fellow "ghost singers" India Adams, Betty Wand[22] and Jo Ann Greer[23] in the musical revue Hollywood's Secret Singing Stars. A two-CD retrospective of her recordings entitled "There's a Man in My Life" was released in 2016 by Fresh Sound Records.[24][25]

In January 2016, Warren sang at the La Cicada Club in Los Angeles at a party held to celebrate the release of Lyn Stanley's album Interlude. Warren had been instrumental in encouraging Stanley to embark on her jazz-singing career in 2012.[26] On April 24, 2016 (at the age of 93), Warren debuted a brand-new one-woman show entitled "I Ain't Done Yet" at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA.[27] She is managed by Alan Eichler.

On March 30, 2017, Warren returned to New York for the first time in nearly 60 years to headline at Feinstein's/54 Below at the age of 94, to critical acclaim,[28][29] and continues to perform regularly at such clubs as the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood.[30]

She turned 100 on July 11, 2022.[31]

References

1. "Show Boat (1951)". Tcm.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
2. "(Hey) Fancy Pants! by Annette Warren Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
3. Neibaur, James L. (2004-12-27). The Bob Hope Films. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1050-7.
4. "60 Years Later: Annette Warren Returns, Talks Vocal Dubbing for Ava Gardner, Aggravating Ed Asner and More". www.show-score.com.
5. "Annette Warren Smith celebrates her 100th birthday", palosverdespulse.com. Accessed July 19, 2022.
6. "Black and White 78rpm numerical listing discography". www.78discography.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022.
7. "'Sparkle Time With Meredith Willson' Heard on WHP Friday Nights, 7.30". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. September 28, 1946. p. 19. Retrieved August 11, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
9. "Midnight Frolics (1949) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
10. "The Devil's Sleep (1949) Soundtrack". RingosTrack.
11. "Movie Dubbers". Janettedavis.net. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
12. Faris, Gerald (September 13, 1991). "'Ghosts' from Hollywood's past bring 'Voices' to Peninsula Symphony benefit". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
13. "Rooty Toot Toot (1952, Animated Short) Voice Cast". Voice Chasers.
14. "History of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time". Retrieved 2015-07-13.^[dead link‍]
15. "The 24th Academy Awards | 1952". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
16. Fishman, Howard (2023-05-06). "Before Dylan, There Was Connie Converse. Then She Vanished". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
17. Pat Saperstein (2013-07-08). "Jazz Pianist Paul Smith Dies at 91". Variety. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
18. "Phil Moore : Fantasy For Girl & Orchestra (Verve) (LP, Vinyl record album)" – via www.dustygroove.com.
19. "Roots Vinyl Guide". www.rootsvinylguide.com.
20. "Annette Warren | Album Discography". AllMusic.
21. Keepnews, Peter (2013-07-03). "Paul Smith, Jazz Pianist, Is Dead at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
22. "Benefit Will Feature 'Secret Singing Stars'". Los Angeles Times. September 23, 1997. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
23. Heckman, Don (August 29, 1991). "Cabaret Review: Unveiling the 'Voices' Behind Screen Illusion". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
24. "Sings... There's a Man in My Life! Plus Selected Rarities". Amazon. 2016.
25. "Annette Warren - Sings... There's A Man In My Life Plus Selected Rarities (2-CD) - Blue Sounds". Blue Sounds.
26. Grigware, Don (18 January 2016). "Lyn Stanley's CD Release Party for Interludes a Lush Evening of Entertainment". Broadway World. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
27. "Nearly 100 Years Of Purpose: Annette Warren, She Ain't Done Yet". HuffPost. 14 April 2016.
28. "Annette Warren: I Ain't Done Yet". April 2017.
29. "Annette Warren: I Ain't Done Yet". April 3, 2017.
30. "Guest Diary Archives | Articles by Featured Writers". New York Social Diary.
31. "Local Musical Treasure Annette Warren Smith Celebrates her 100th Birthday! By Performer Michele Ayers". Palos Verdes Pulse. Retrieved 2022-07-21.