Paula Kelly (singer)

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"Paula Kelly" (October 13, 1919 -April 2, 1992) was an American big band singer, who was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania.

In her early career, she sang with orchestras led by Dick Stabile, Artie Shaw, and Al Donahue. In early 1941 she joined Glenn Miller's orchestra, replacing Dorothy Claire. (Marion Hutton, who was Miller's main female vocalist, was on a leave of absence, and Claire had been brought in to replace her, but didn't satisfy Miller.) Kelly performed solo, but also soon became the female lead of The Modernaires, originally a male trio, then a quartet, resulting in the group becoming a quintet of four male singers and herself. (Hutton briefly joined The Modernaires when she returned to Miller's orchestra in August of 1941, but Kelly remained the lead singer.)

She married Hal Dickinson, one of the original members of the Modernaires, shortly after joining the group. They remained together until his death in 1970. They had three daughters. In 1976 she married Richard Turner.

In 1942, Glenn Miller went into the service and his band broke up. The Modernaires continued with Kelly as lead singer until 1978, when she retired in favor of her daughter, who performed as Paula Kelly Jr.