Judy Canova

Judy Canova
Canova and George Raft (1979)
Born	Juliette Canova (some sources indicate Julietta Canova) (1913-11-20)November 20, 1913 or November 20, 1916 Starke, Florida, U.S.
Died	August 5, 1983(1983-08-05) (aged 69) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Comedian, actress, singer, radio personality
Spouse(s)	Bob Burns (m. 1936–39) James Ripley (m. 1941–41) Chester B. England (m. 1943–50) Filberto Rivero (m. 1950–64)
Children	Julieta Canova England Diana Canova (b. 1953)

Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983) (another source gives her birth date as November 20, 1916), born Juliette Canova, (some sources indicate Julietta Canova), was an American comedian, actress, singer, and radio personality. She appeared on Broadway and in films. She hosted her own self-titled network radio program, a popular series broadcast from 1943 to 1955.

She was born in Starke, Florida, one of seven siblings, to Joseph Francis Canova (1873-1926), a businessman, and Henrietta E. Canova (née Perry; 1872-1930), a singer. Young Juliette (or Julietta) became "Judy" and began her show-business career with a family vaudeville routine, joining her sister Annie and brother Zeke. Their performances as the Three Georgia Crackers took them from Florida theaters to the Village Barn, a Manhattan club. Canova sang, yodeled, and played guitar, and she was typed as a wide-eyed likable country bumpkin, often barefoot and wearing her hair in braids, sometimes topped with a straw hat. Sometimes she was introduced as The Ozark Nightingale or The Jenny Lind of the Ozarks. In an interview with Rosemary Clooney she said that her family came from the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, though other sources say the island of Minorca.

When bandleader Rudy Vallée offered the still-teenaged Canova a guest spot on his radio show in 1931, The Fleischmann Hour, the door opened to a career that spanned more than five decades. The popularity of the Canova family led to numerous performances on radio in the 1930s, and they made their Broadway theater debut in the revue Calling All Stars. An offer from Warner Bros. led to several bit parts before she signed with Republic Pictures. She recorded for the RCA Victor label and appeared in more than two dozen Hollywood films, playing leading roles as well as supporting parts, including Scatterbrain (1940), Joan of Ozark (1942), and Lay That Rifle Down (1955).