Carol Richards

Carol Richards
Carol Richards (as pictured in TV Radio Mirror September 1956)
Born	Carol June Vosburgh June 6, 1922 Harvard, Illinois
Died	March 16, 2007, age 84 Vero Beach, Florida
Nationality	American
Other names	Carol Richards Carole Richards Carol Lutzhoff
Spouse(s)	Edward Sweidler (1966-2007, her death)
Children	5 children

Carol Swiedler (Stage name Carol Richards or Carole Richards), (June 6, 1922 - March 16, 2007) was an American singer, radio and television performer, remembered for her duets with Bing Crosby on the hit single "Silver Bells" and on the song "Sunshine Cake."

The daughter of George and Martha Vosburgh, Richards was born Carol June Vosburgh in Harvard, Illinois. She had three siblings. Her father worked for the Northwestern Railroad. She began performing at age 4, but within a couple of years her mother thought she was acting "like a diva", and wouldn't let her take the stage again until she was 11.

Richards worked as an actress at a radio station in Indianapolis, Indiana, until she had to sing in one of her roles. "The station offered me a job as a vocalist, and I took it," she said. "And I've been singing ever since."

At the start of her career in her early 20s, Richards won a Bob Hope talent contest, moved to Hollywood and appeared on numerous TV shows including I Love Lucy,Name That Tune, The Saturday Night Revue, and variety shows hosted by Dennis Day, Edgar Bergen, and Ezio Pinza.

Richards was a regular cast member on The Pinky Lee Show (April 5, 1950 - November 9, 1950), both singing and playing Lee's girlfriend; on The Ralph Edwards Show (January 14, 1952 - May 16, 1952) and on The Bob Crosby Show (1953–1957).

In the film The Petty Girl (1950), Richards supplied the singing voices for both Joan Caulfield and Movita Castaneda. She also was the voice double for Vera Ellen in Call Me Madam (1953), for Cyd Charisse in ,Brigadoon (1954),Deep in My Heart (1954), and It's Always Fair Weather, and for Betta St. John in The Robe.