Jane Powell

Jane Powell
Powell in a publicity headshot, 1948
Born	Suzanne Lorraine Burce (1929-04-01) April 1, 1929 (age 87) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer, dancer
Years active	1944–present 1944–2002 (acting)
Spouse(s)	Geary Steffen (m. 1949; div. 1953) Patrick Nerney (m. 1954; div. 1963) James Fitzgerald (m. 1965; div. 1975) David Parlour (m. 1978; div. 1981) Dickie Moore (m. 1988; d. 2015)

Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce, April 1, 1929) is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Powell rose to fame during her childhood as a singer in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, and signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio used her vocal, dancing, and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding (1951) with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy (1948) with friend Elizabeth Taylor, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, leading her to a prolific theater and television career.

In 1985, she relocated with her fifth husband, former child star Dickie Moore (died 2015), to New York City and Wilton, Connecticut, where Powell is still active in local theatre.

She was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce, the only child born to Paul E. Burce (a Wonder Bread employee) and Eileen Baker Burce (a housewife), on April 1, 1929, in Portland, Oregon. Powell began dance lessons at the age of two. In an attempt to liken her appearance to Shirley Temple, Powell's mother took her to get her first perm the same year she began dance lessons.

At five, she appeared on the children's radio program Stars of Tomorrow. She also took dance lessons with Agnes Peters, and there the Burce family met Scotty Weston, a talent scout and dance instructor. He convinced the family to move to Oakland, California, for Powell to take dance lessons, in hopes of her being discovered. However, Weston's lessons were held in a large, dark, damp ballroom packed full of other starlet hopefuls, and after three months of living in a hotel room and eating meals cooked on a hot plate, the family moved back to Portland. Paul Burce had quit his job of 14 years to move to Oakland, and was unable to get it back when they returned. The family moved into an apartment building owned by friends, and Paul soon became the manager after the friends left. While there, and while helping her father take the garbage out, Powell would sing. Tenants insisted that Powell should take lessons, and after saving their money, began singing lessons for her.