Ginny Simms
Ginny Simms | |
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![]() Simms, c. 1943 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Virginia Ellen Simms |
Also known as | Virginia E. Eastvold |
Born | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | May 25, 1913
Died | April 4, 1994 Palm Springs, California, U.S. | (aged 80)
Occupation(s) | Singer, film actress |
Years active | 1932–1951 |
Labels |
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Website | ginnysimms |
Virginia Ellen Simms[1] (May 25, 1913 [note 1] – April 4, 1994) was an American popular singer and film actress.
Simms sang with big bands and labeled with Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, and others. She also worked as an MGM and Universal film actress and appeared in 11 movies from 1939 to 1951, when she retired.
Early life
Born in San Antonio, Texas,[3][4] Simms' family then moved to California, where she attended Fresno High School[5] and Fresno State Teachers College, where she studied piano.[6] While there, she began performing in campus productions, singing with sorority sisters and even forming a popular campus vocal trio.[1] Shortly afterward, she struck out on her own to establish a solo singing career, and by 1932 she had her own program on a local radio station.[7]
Career
Radio
In 1932, she became band vocalist for the Tom Gerun band in San Francisco, working together with other vocalists, including a young Tony Martin and Woody Herman.[1] In 1934, she joined the Kay Kyser Orchestra, where she received her first national exposure, appearing on radio shows with Kyser.[1][7]
Films
She made three movies with Kyser: That's Right—You're Wrong (1939) with Lucille Ball; You'll Find Out (1940) with Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff; and Playmates (1941) with John Barrymore and Lupe Vélez.
On April 6, 1941, Simms and Kyser also co-starred in Niagara to Reno (described as "an original comedy") on CBS radio's Silver Theater.[8] She nearly married Kyser but left his orchestra in September 1941 to do her own radio show.[7]
She starred in several more movies, including: Here We Go Again (1942) as Jean Gildersleeve, with Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, and Jim Jordan & Marian Jordan (from Fibber McGee & Molly); Hit the Ice (1943) as Marcia Manning, with Abbott & Costello; Broadway Rhythm (1944) as Helen Hoyt, with George Murphy; and the sanitized Cole Porter biopic Night and Day (1946) as Carole Hill, with Cary Grant and Alexis Smith.[9]
Television
In 1951, Simms hosted a local television show on KTTV, channel 11, in Los Angeles which featured dance bands and talent from army, navy, marine, and air force bases around Southern California.
Humanitarian work
Like many stars, Simms was active in entertaining troops during World War II. After the war ended, she continued to help servicemen. In 1947, a radio station's newsletter noted: "[N]ow she is helping provide new homes for them. Ginny is sponsoring the construction of 450 homes for vets in Los Angeles."[10]
Awards
On June 5, 1993, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[11]
Personal life
Simms was married three times, first (July 28, 1945 to March 1951) to Hyatt Hotels founder Hyatt von Dehn, with whom she had two sons: David (born in July 1946)[12] and Conrad (born December 27, 1949).[6] Her second marriage (June 27, 1951 to June, 1953) was to Bob Calhoun, and her third was to Republican former attorney general of Washington State, Don Eastvold, from June 22, 1962 until her death in 1994.[13]
Death
She died as the result of a heart attack in Palm Springs on April 4, 1994,[6] aged 80, and is interred in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.[13] She was survived by her husband, Donald Eastvold Sr.[6]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1939 | That's Right – You're Wrong | Herself | |
1940 | You'll Find Out | Herself | |
1941 | Playmates | Herself | |
1942 | Here We Go Again | Jean Gildersleeve | |
1942 | Seven Days' Leave | Herself | |
1943 | Hit The Ice | Marcia Manning | |
1944 | G.I. Journal[14] | Herself | Short |
1944 | Broadway Rhythm | Helen Hoyt | |
1945 | Shady Lady | Leonora Lee Appleby | |
1946 | Night and Day | Carole Hill | |
1951 | Disk Jockey[15] | Vickie Peters | (final film role) |
Selected discography
Simms recorded extensively—from June 17, 1935 until July 2, 1947, then again in mid-1953 and finally in December 7 & 9, 1960—for several labels, including: ARA (American Recording Artists),[16] Brunswick, Capitol Custom,[17] Columbia, Conqueror,[18] Okeh, Regal Zonophone, Royale,[19] Sonora,[20] Star-Tone,[21] TOPS,[22] Venise,[23] Vocalion, and V-Disc.
Some of these recordings have been re-released on the following CDs:[24]
- Ginny Simms: Love Is Here To Stay (1997)
- Ginny Simms: V-Disc Recordings CD (1998)
- Gorgeous Ginny Simms (1999)
- Night and Day (1999) (Soundtrack of the 1946 film Night and Day)
- Ginny Simms: I'd Like To Set You To Music (2001)
- Simple & Sweet: The Best Of Ginny Simms (2005)
- Ginny Simms: One More Dream (2006)
- All Right With Me! – 30 Years Of Cole Porter Magic With The Girls! (2010) – Simms sings two Porter songs: "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "Easy To Love"
- On The Air With Ginny Simms (2011)
- The Sentimental Stylings of Ginny Simms (2012)
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Sleeve notes from Ginny Simms – I'd Like To Set You To Music, Jasmine JASCD 118, 2001.
- ^ Ginny Simms biography; retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ Adrian Room (1981). Naming Names: Stories of Pseudonyms and Name Changes, with a Who's Who. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-7100-0920-3.
- ^ Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 150.
- ^ "The Cover Girl" (PDF). Radio Life. September 1, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Oliver, Myrna (April 6, 1994). "Ginny Simms; Singer, Radio Personality". No. 1994. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c Sleeve notes from Simple & Sweet: The Best Of Ginny Simms, Collectables COL-CD-7590, 2005.
- ^ "3 Programs Join The Spring Dial; Several Programs Revised". The Lincoln Star. April 6, 1941. p. 40. Retrieved March 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sleeve notes from Night and Day, Soundtrack Factory SFCD-33529, 1999.
- ^ Young, Kathryn (January 1947). "C.B.S. Notes" (PDF). No. 22. WIBW Roundup. p. 12. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
- ^ "Ginny Simms Returns to WHP Sept. 20; Danny Thomas Is First Guest". Harrisburg Telegraph. September 14, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved April 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Palm Springs Cemetery District, "Interments of Interest"
- ^ G.I. Journal. Page at the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) website. Retrieved on 26 May 2016
- ^ Disc Jockey. Page at the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) website. Retrieved on 26 May 2016
- ^ "American Recording Artists (2) discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "Capitol Custom discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "Conqueror discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "Royale discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ Campbell, Robert L. (May 18, 2016). "The Sonora Label". myweb.clemson.edu. The Red Saunders Research Foundation. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
The Sonora 3000 Pop Series: 1947 & The Sonora 1000 Series: Albums from 1947.
- ^ "Star-Tone discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "The career of Ginny Simms discography". Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ "Venise discography". discogs.com. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ Ginny Simms discography at cduniverse. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Ginny Simms biography Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- "The career of Ginny Simms" discography Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- Ginny Simms at IMDb Retrieved 11 October 2007.
- "Ginny Simms". Singer, actress. Find a Grave. January 1, 2001. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- Ginny Simms discography at cduniverse Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- Ginny Simms discography at discogs Retrieved 26 May 2016.