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'''Jean Holden''', a.k.a. ''Jean Holden-Hanna'' (born ''Norris Jean Ashley'' – February 2, 1940), is an American [[jazz]]-[[contemporary]] [[singer]] and [[vocal coach]], described by many in the States of [[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], and [[Indiana]] as "Toledo’s First Lady of Song".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2006/01/24/Finkbeiner-lays-out-blueprint-for-Toledo.html|publisher=Toledo Blade|title= Finkbeiner lays out blueprint for Toledo}}</ref> |
'''Jean Holden''', a.k.a. ''Jean Holden-Hanna'' (born ''Norris Jean Ashley'' – February 2, 1940), is an American [[jazz]]-[[contemporary]] [[singer]] and [[vocal coach]], described by many in the States of [[Ohio]], [[Michigan]], and [[Indiana]] as "Toledo’s First Lady of Song".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2006/01/24/Finkbeiner-lays-out-blueprint-for-Toledo.html|publisher=Toledo Blade|title= Finkbeiner lays out blueprint for Toledo}}</ref> |
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Holden's interpretation of the swinging [[standards]] and timeless [[ballads]] leaves her audiences in awe. Her relationship with her audience has placed her in constant demand over the years, including live [[music venues]] in [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]], [[Chicago]], [[Detroit]], and [[Cleveland]]. In addition, Holden operates her vocal studio, Jean Holden's Studio of Vocal Expression, where she works with students of all ages. |
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==Biography== |
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===Early life=== |
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Norris Jean Ashley was born in Masonville, Arkansas to Margeret White, a cotton picker in Masonville and Minor Ashley, a farmer also in Masonville. At the age of four, Norris Jean was left in the keeping of her grandmother (Margeret’s mother), Lula Rounds in [[McGehee, Arkansas]], while Margeret went [[California]] for employment. In 1945, Lula Rounds took Norris Jean to [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], where she attended kindergarten and 1st grade at a local [[Catholic school]]. In 1947, Lula took Ashley back to McGehee where she lived with Hazel Washington (Margeret’s sister and Lula’s daughter) and Hazel’s husband Alex Washington. In 1948, Margeret returned to McGehee to get her daughter, whom she hadn’t seen since four years prior. Jean did not recognize her mother when she first saw her, which made Margeret very sad and she began to cry. At that point, Margeret swore she would never leave her daughter behind again. |
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In her early years, Norris Jean realized she loved to sing. She was listening to other singers such as [[Ella Fitzgerald]], [[Sarah Vaughan]], [[Patty Page]], [[Marian Anderson]], [[Patsy Cline]], [[Pearl Bailey]] and [[Mahalia Jackson]]. Ashley not only loved jazz music, but also opera and country. |
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Ashley moved to Shreveport when she was 9-years old with her mother and her mother’s husband, Clarence Romby. In 1953 at age 13, while in the 7th grade, Norris Jean began singing classical music, as an Operatic [[Mezzo-Soprano]], through intense training from Henry Morgan and Grace Burke, at Central Junior High in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]]. Everything from vocalizing to singing [[Negro spirituals]], to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[show tunes]] to Italian [[arias]], Mr. Morgan and Ms. Burke, worked with Norris Jean to prepare her for City-wide, State-wide and regional competitions, where she began placing 1st and 2nd the all competitions. While in high school, and still under the direction of Mr. Morgan and Ms. Burke, Ashley began performing in musicals such as, [[Carmen]], [[La forza del destino|Pace, pace, mio Dio]] and [[Ave Maria]] to name a few. |
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By 1957, Norris Jean was receiving offers from [[Juilliard School of Music]], [[Oberlin University]] and [[Dillard University]] for full scholarships. It was at that time that she met Howard Lee Holden, in [[Toledo, Ohio]], while spending the summer there with her cousin (and Margeret's niece), Marion Bolden. At the end of the summer in 1957, Norris Jean informed her mother that she did not want to finish high school in Shreveport, and she wanted to stay in Toledo with Howard. This also meant turning down the scholarships she was offered from the aforementioned universities. In turn, Margeret decided she wanted to be with her daughter, so she too moved to Toledo, where she began working at Crown Cleaners, a family-owned business of her niece Marion. |
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When Norris Jean moved to Toledo, her main desire was to become a wife and a mother, so on November 27, 1957, she married Howard Holden. On February 7, 1959, the couple had their first child (son), Gerald “Jerry” Richard Holden; then on January 24, 1962, the Holden's welcomed their second child (daughter), Lisa Marie Holden. |
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===Beginning professional career=== |
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Following in her operatic training throughout high school, Holden, now using Jean Holden for her stage name and dropping Norris, began singing with director Charles Sumner with his musical production of "Lost In The Stars." Jean was the understudy to Shirley Barette. She later joined the [[Toledo Opera Association]] (TOA), under the direction of Lester and Francis Freedman. Holden traveled with TOA between Toledo and Dayton performing numerous operas. Through Roger and Eve Weiher's production company, Lynro Productions, Jean performed in numerous musicals including [[Sound of Music]] and [[West Side Story]]. In 1967, after a cast member dropped out of the [[Threepenny Opera]], director Bernie Coyne contacted Jean to play the part of Mrs. Peachum. |
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With singing still in her blood, and realizing there wasn't much of a market for opera singers, particularly African-American opera singers, Holden changed her style and range to accommodate nightclub singing. Her remarkable talent was sufficient to earn her first nightclub performance at the [http://www.parklanetoledo.com/About-Us.html Park Lane Hotel], where she was hired for a 2-week trial run. Ultimately she performed there for two consecutive years. That began her nightclub entertainment career. |
With singing still in her blood, and realizing there wasn't much of a market for opera singers, particularly African-American opera singers, Holden changed her style and range to accommodate nightclub singing. Her remarkable talent was sufficient to earn her first nightclub performance at the [http://www.parklanetoledo.com/About-Us.html Park Lane Hotel], where she was hired for a 2-week trial run. Ultimately she performed there for two consecutive years. That began her nightclub entertainment career. |
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Revision as of 06:00, 26 March 2013
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Jean Holden | |
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 Holden-Hanna at Murphy's in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Norris Jean Ashley |
| Also known as | "Toledo’s First Lady of Song" |
| Born | February 2, 1940 Masonville, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Vocalist, vocal jazz, contemporary, vocal coach, vocal instructor |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, vocal coach, vocal instructor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1962--present |
| Website | jeanholden |
Jean Holden, a.k.a. Jean Holden-Hanna (born Norris Jean Ashley – February 2, 1940), is an American jazz-contemporary singer and vocal coach, described by many in the States of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana as "Toledo’s First Lady of Song".[1]
With singing still in her blood, and realizing there wasn't much of a market for opera singers, particularly African-American opera singers, Holden changed her style and range to accommodate nightclub singing. Her remarkable talent was sufficient to earn her first nightclub performance at the Park Lane Hotel, where she was hired for a 2-week trial run. Ultimately she performed there for two consecutive years. That began her nightclub entertainment career.
Solo career
Vocal coaching
One of Jean's passions is to give vocal instructions to youths. With her vast years of performing in nightclub, along with her operatic training and performance, through Jean Holden’s Studio of Vocal Expression,[2] Holden’s personalized style of teaching is unique while maintaining the importance of proper breathing techniques, diaphragm control, articulation & enunciation, elocution, dramatization & stage presence, and microphone technique. Since the mid 80s, she has had hundreds of students, including former student and Toledo native/actress Katie Holmes.
Film and television
Personal life
Holden has been married twice and is the mother of two children, Jerry (b. 1959) and Lisa (b. 1962) Holden. Her first marriage to Howard Holden (Jerry and Lisa's father) lasted from 1957 until 1973. They remained loving friends until Howard's passing of cancer brain tumor in 2010.[3] Her second marriage is to Harvey Hanna, which was preceded by the two dating beginning in 1978. In September 1999, Harvey’s younger brother Stan Hanna, whom is also a Lutheran minister like his older brother, officially married Holden and Hanna. Jean is also the stepmother to Harvey’s two children Kristen Hanna-Vargas (b. 1968) and Jason Hanna (b. 1970).
Holden's beloved mother, Margeret White, moved in with Jean, Howard and their children after being shot by Margeret's then husband O.C. White, and lived in the home from 1965 to 1973 when Jean and Howard divorced. During that time, White worked at the family business, Crown Cleaners at the front counter. After the divorce was final, in April 1973, Holden and her mother purchased a home in the Old West End of Toledo, where they, along with Jerry and Lisa moved to. Margeret continued working at Crown Cleaners until she retired in 1986. In 1978, with Margeret's blessings, Harvey Hanna moved into the home shortly after he and Jean began dating. Margeret White lived in the family home with Jean and Harvey until her passing at home on November 27, 2010 at the age of 91.[4]
Jean is mother-in-law to Shea Chambers, Jerry's wife, and step-mother-in-law to Amy Hanna, Jasson's wife, and Alberto Vargas, Kristen's husband. Holden is grandmother to Jerry's sons Darrell Reeves (b. 1977), Andre Waller (b. 1979), Adam Holden (b. 1983) and Tyler Holden (b. 1986). She is the step-grandmother to Kristen's children Conner Vargas (b. 1993) and Maranda Vargas (b. 1994), along with Jason's children Corey (b. 1990) and Bailey Rae (b. 2008). In addition, she is great-grandmother to Nassir Reeves (b. 2004), son of Darrell and his wife Charita Reeves, and Jaxson Holden (b. 2011) and Liam Holden (b. 2012), sons of Adam and his wife Liza Holden.
Awards
Lake Erie West Awards
To date, Jean Holden has 4 Lake Erie West Awards.
| Year | Nominated work | Award category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | People's Choice Award for the Performing Arts | Female Vocalist | Won |
| 1997 | People's Choice Award for the Performing Arts | Female Vocalist | Won |
| 1998 | People's Choice Award for the Performing Arts | Female Vocalist | Won |
| 2000 | People's Choice Award for the Performing Arts | Hall of Fame | Won |
Discography
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2013) |
References
- ^ "Finkbeiner lays out blueprint for Toledo". Toledo Blade.
- ^ "Jean Holden' Studio of Vocal Expression". Facebook.
- ^ "Howard Holden". Toledo Blade.
- ^ "Margeret White". Toledo Blade.
External links
- Jean Holden Official website