- Ginny Simms
Ginny Simms (
25 May 1915 ,San Antonio -4 April 1994 , Palm Springs), was abig band singer and film actress.She appeared in 11 movies from 1939 to 1951, when she retired. She was married three times, to
Hyatt Hotels founder Hyatt von Dehn from 1945 to 1951, to Bob Calhoun from 1951 to 1952, and Don Eastvold from22 June 1962 until her death on4 April 1994 .She originally considered studying to become a concert pianist, but enrolled instead at Fresno State Teachers College. While there, she began performing in campus productions, singing with sorority sisters and even forming a popular campus vocal trio. Shortly afterward, she struck out on her own to establish a solo singing career and by 1932, she had her own program on a local radio station.
Also in 1932, she became band vocalist for the Tom Gerun band in
San Francisco , working together with other vocalists including a youngTony Martin andWoody Herman . She joined theKay Kyser Orchestra in 1938, where she received her first national exposure appearing on radio shows and in films with Kyser. She made her first movie with Kyser andLucille Ball , "That’s Right You’re Wrong " (1939). She nearly married Kyser but left his orchestra in 1941 to do her own radio show.She starred in the movies "Here We Go Again" with
Edgar Bergen ,Charlie McCarthy , andFibber McGee & Molly (1942), "Hit the Ice" withAbbott & Costello (1943), as Helen Hoyt in "Broadway Rhythm " withGeorge Murphy (1944), and as Carole Hill inCole Porter ’s "Night and Day" (1946) withCary Grant andAlexis Smith .External links
*imdb name|id=0799963|name=Ginny Simms
*findagrave|1414 [http://www.bellsisters.com/ginny-simms/discography.html Detailed Ginny Simms discography] [http://www.bellsisters.com/ginny-simms/discography.html] http://www.bellsisters.com/ginny-simms/discography.html
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