Biography
Born Ellen Jane Froman on 10 November 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri, and passing away on 22 April 1980 in Columbia, Missouri, she grew up in the latter city under the musical guidance of her mother, who directed the department at Christian College. Displaying talent at a young age, she pursued studies first at that institution, then at the University of Missouri and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before launching a professional career as a teenager. Paul Whiteman discovered her and offered a contract, leading to her Broadway introduction in the Ziegfeld Follies Of 1934, where she joined Everett Marshall to present E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg and Vernon Duke’s numbers ‘Suddenly’ and ‘What Is There To Say?’. That same year brought her initial chart success via the recording ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’.
Through the later 1930s and into the early 1940s she established herself as a prominent nightclub attraction while also drawing strong radio audiences. En route to Europe in 1943 to entertain American troops, she survived a plane crash at sea as one of only 14 passengers, though the incident left her gravely hurt. Multiple surgeries followed, yet she resumed live work despite ongoing discomfort and permanent physical limitations; while recovering, she prepared for her stage return in Artists And Models (1944). The 1950s yielded additional hits including ‘I’ll Walk Alone’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘I Believe’ and ‘Robe Of Cavalry’. She maintained an active touring schedule and supplied the vocals for the 1952 film biography With A Song In My Heart, in which Susan Hayward lip-synched, and made several television appearances before retiring in 1962.
Her rich, distinctive timbre helped establish her as a leading figure among New York performers and broadcasters throughout the 1930s, while her resilience during recovery rendered the 1940s resurgence all the more remarkable.
Through the later 1930s and into the early 1940s she established herself as a prominent nightclub attraction while also drawing strong radio audiences. En route to Europe in 1943 to entertain American troops, she survived a plane crash at sea as one of only 14 passengers, though the incident left her gravely hurt. Multiple surgeries followed, yet she resumed live work despite ongoing discomfort and permanent physical limitations; while recovering, she prepared for her stage return in Artists And Models (1944). The 1950s yielded additional hits including ‘I’ll Walk Alone’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘I Believe’ and ‘Robe Of Cavalry’. She maintained an active touring schedule and supplied the vocals for the 1952 film biography With A Song In My Heart, in which Susan Hayward lip-synched, and made several television appearances before retiring in 1962.
Her rich, distinctive timbre helped establish her as a leading figure among New York performers and broadcasters throughout the 1930s, while her resilience during recovery rendered the 1940s resurgence all the more remarkable.
Albums
