THE WOMEN - Hollywood's Secret Singing Star

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JUNE ALLYSON's image in Hollywood was the quintessential 'girl next door' with the raspy singing voice. Any cinephile of early musicals is familiar with June's vocal style and comes to expect a peppy, energetic performance.
       "My voice is funny, I don't sing like Judy Garland."  June Allyson - 1986 Interview, CBS                         

June Allyson was featured in three of the musical numbers in the film, THE OPPOSITE SEX. I was very surprised to hear a very different voice style while she sang "A Perfect Love." It didn't sound like June Allyson ... the voice was elegant and silky ... (no disrespect to June). My curiosity got the best of me, so naturally, I had to do some digging! My musical research led me to JO ANN GREER. Greer has a lovely, natural gift for phrasing a song. Clearly, the director of the film was not interested in June's unique, albeit husky, timbre for A Perfect Love !

Jo Ann Greer's vocal career centered around movie dubbing and band singing.  She worked with a number of bands (from the 1940's on) and her thirty year career with LES BROWN (1950's-1990's), was her longest and most most memorable. Greer's first husband, pianist Freddie Slack, assisted her in connecting with a Hollywood musical director in Columbia Pictures - Morris Stoloff. That connection began her career as one of the most sought after 'Ghost Singers' in Hollywood, especially at Columbia. Her lovely voice covered Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Gloria Grahme, Carole Matthews, Esther Williams and more. The most absurd usage of voice dubbing occurred in musical film, Pal Joey,  featuring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. Guess whose voice was not dubbed?! 

Beautiful phrasing, right? My musical ChatterBox Divas research has inspired me to add Jo Ann Greer's recording to my CD collection!  (highly recommend!) 

An additional fun fact - how often have you been dragged out to dance The Hokey Pokey at countless weddings?!  Ray Anthony - "The Hokey Pokey" was recorded by Jo Ann Greer! (I once witnessed a DJ announce the dance song's vocalist as Judy Garland, Seriously??!! You know that I set him straight!)
 

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