Monica Lewis
| Monica Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May Lewis May 5, 1922 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer, film actress |
| Years active | 1948-1988 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jennings Lang (1956 – 29 May 1996; his death); 3 children Bob Thiele (27 July 1945 – January 1947; divorced) |
Monica Lewis (born 5 May 1922), is an American jazz artist and film actress.
Career
Monica Lewis was born in Chicago as May Lewis in 1922, being the youngest among her two siblings. Both parents were musicians as her father Leon Lewis worked as a pianist and composer while her mother Jessica Lewis was a singer with the Chicago Opera Company.[1]
At the age of 17, she started working as a singer for a radio show called Gloom Dodgers.[2] With the help of Benny Goodman, she began to establish her career through nationally broadcast shows such as The Revere Camera Show and Beat the Band. Monica Lewis became a prominent singer during this time and was dubbed America’s Singing Sweetheart.[3] Some of her famous hit songs included Put the Blame on Mame, I Wish You Love and Autumn Leaves.[4]
In 1947, she started providing the singing voice for Miss Chiquita Banana, a cartoon television commercial character. In 1948, Monica appeared in the first ever Ed Sullivan Show.[5] In 1950, she was signed a contract with MGM. Some of her films included The Strip, Everything I Have Is Yours and Affair with a Stranger.[6]
Personal life
Monica Lewis has been married twice. Her first husband was the American record producer Bob Thiele. They married in 1945 but divorced a couple of years later. In 1956, she married film producer Jennings Lang and they remained together until his death in 1996. They had 3 children together. Monica’s sister Barbara Lewis was a pianist and her brother Marlo Lewis worked as a TV producer.[7]
Filmography
References
External links |