Shirley Ross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shirley Ross (January 7, 1913 - March 9, 1975) was an American actress and singer.
Ross was born Bernice Grant in Omaha, Nebraska. Her family moved to California while Ross was a child. Shirley studied at Hollywood High School and the University of California and auditioned successfully for Gus Arnheim's band during her second year at university. She made her first recordings with Arnheim in 1933.
Her film career began in 1933 and she first achieved prominence appearing opposite Bing Crosby in the 1937 film Waikiki Wedding.
She is associated with some of the greatest songs written for film. In The Big Broadcast of 1938 Shirley duetted with Bob Hope on "Thanks for the Memory", and also teamed with Hope on "Two Sleepy People" in 1938's Thanks for the Memory, and "The Lady's in Love with You" from the 1939 film Some Like It Hot.
Her sole Broadway appearance was in the Rodgers and Hart musical Higher and Higher in 1940. Shirley recorded four songs from the show including the standard "It Never Entered My Mind".
Shirley returned to Hollywood and made her final film A Song for Miss Julie in 1945. She died of cancer in Menlo Park, California.
