Kathryn Grayson
| Kathryn Grayson | |
|---|---|
from trailer for The Toast of New Orleans (1950)
|
|
| Born |
Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick February 9, 1922 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 2010 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress/Singer |
| Years active | 1941–1998 |
| Spouse(s) |
John Shelton (m.1941–1946; divorced) Johnnie Johnston (m.1947–1951; divorced) 1 child |
| Children | Patricia Kathryn (born 1948) |
| Website | http://www.kathryngrayson.com/ |
Kathryn Grayson (February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and soprano. From the age of twelve, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by the early 1940s, soon establishing a career principally through her work in musicals. After several supporting roles, she was a lead performer in such films as Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both with Howard Keel.
When film musical production declined, she worked in theatre, appearing in Camelot (1962–1964). Later in the decade she performed in several operas, including La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld and La traviata.
She was born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the daughter of Charles E. Hedrick and Lillian Grayson Hedrick (1897–1955). Charles was a building contractor-realtor.
Lillian was of Russian-Mongolian (Buryatia;Ulan Ude), Native American and English descent, and Charles was of German, Russian-Mongolian (Buryatia) and Sicilian descent.
The Hedrick family later moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she was discovered singing on the empty stage of the St. Louis Municipal Opera House by a janitor, who introduced her to Frances Marshall of the Chicago Civic Opera, who gave the twelve-year-old girl voice lessons.
Grayson's sister, Frances Raeburn (born Mildred Hedrick) was also an actress and singer, appearing alongside her in the film Seven Sweethearts. She also had two brothers, Clarence "Bud" E. Hedrick, and Harold.
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