Kay Thompson

Kay Thompson
Hilary Knight's 1996 portrait of Kay Thompson for Vanity Fair.
Born	Catherine Louise Fink (1909-11-09)November 9, 1909 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	July 2, 1998(1998-07-02) (aged 88) New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Author, composer, musician, actress, singer.
Spouse(s)	Jack Jenney (1937–39; divorced) William Spier (1942–47; divorced)
Parent(s)	Leo George Fink Harriet Adelaide "Hattie" Tetrick

Kay Thompson (born Catherine Louise Fink; November 9, 1909 – July 2, 1998) was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.

Thompson was born Catherine Louise Fink in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1909, the second of the four children of Leo George Fink (1874–1939), an Austrian-born pawnbroker and jeweler, of at least partial Jewish descent, and his wife, Harriet Adelaide "Hattie" Tetrick (born August 6, ca. 1886 – December 26, 1954), a Christian. Thompson's parents were married on November 29, 1905, in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois.

Thompson's siblings were: Blanche Margaret Fink, Mrs. Hurd (born January 28, 1907 – died May 31, 2002); Leo George "Bud" Fink, Jr. (born March 20, 1911 – died June 10, 1952), and Marian Antoinette Fink, Mrs. Doenges (born August 20, 1912 – died January 4, 1960).

Thompson began her career in the 1930s as a singer and choral director for radio. Her first big break was as a regular singer on the Bing Crosby-Woodbury Show Bing Crosby Entertains (CBS, 1933–34). This led to a regular spot on The Fred Waring-Ford Dealers Show (NBC, 1934–35) and then, with conductor Lennie Hayton, she co-founded The Lucky Strike Hit Parade (CBS, 1935) where she met (and later married) trombonist Jack Jenney. Thompson and Her Rhythm Singers joined André Kostelanetz and His Orchestra for the hit series The Chesterfield Radio Program (CBS, 1936), followed by It's Chesterfield Time (CBS, 1937) for which Thompson and her large choir were teamed with Hal Kemp and His Orchestra.

For her motion picture debut, Kay and her choir performed two songs in the Republic Pictures musical Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937). In 1939, she reunited with André Kostelanetz for Tune-Up Time (CBS), a show that was produced by radio legend William Spier (who later married Kay in 1942). On an installment of Tune-Up Time in April 1939, 16-year-old Judy Garland was a guest. It was at this time that Kay first met and worked with Judy, developing a close personal friendship and professional association that lasted the rest of Garland's life.