Nationality American Name Ginny Simms | Role Singer | |
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Born May 13, 1913 ( 1913-05-13 ) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Occupation Singer and film actress Spouse Don Eastvold (m. 1962–1994), Bob Calhoun (m. 1951–1952), Hyatt vonDehn (m. 1945–1951) Movies Night and Day, Broadway Rhythm, Hit the Ice, Playmates, Here We Go Again | ||
Ginny simms
Virginia Ellen Simms (May 13, 1913 – April 4, 1994) was an American popular singer and film actress.
Contents
- Ginny simms
- I d know you anywhere ginny simms
- Early life
- Radio
- Cinema
- Television
- Humanitarian work
- Awards
- Personal life
- Death
- Selected discography
- References
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.
I d know you anywhere ginny simms
Early life
Born Simms or Sims in San Antonio, Texas, Simms attended Fresno High School and Fresno State Teachers College, where she studied piano. She originally considered studying to become a concert pianist but enrolled instead at Fresno State Teachers College. While there, she began performing in campus productions, singing with sorority sisters and even forming a popular campus vocal trio. 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.
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. In 1934, she joined the Kay Kyser Orchestra, where she received her first national exposure, appearing on radio shows with Kyser. She also 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. She nearly married Kyser but left his orchestra in September 1941 to do her own radio show.
Cinema
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 Cole Porter’s Night and Day (1946) as Carole Hill, with Cary Grant and Alexis Smith.
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."
Awards
On June 5, 1993, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.
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) and Conrad (born December 27, 1949). Her second marriage (June 27, 1951 to June, 1953) was to Bob Calhoun, and her third to former attorney general of the U.S. state of Washington Don Eastvold from June 22, 1962, until her death, by which time she had also become known as Virginia E. Eastvold.
Death
She died as the result of a heart attack in Palm Springs on April 4, 1994, aged 80, and is interred in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California. She was survived by her husband, Donald Eastvold Sr.
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 Brunswick, Sunbeam, Okeh, Vocalion, Columbia, V-Disc, ARA (American Recording Artists), Sonora and TOPS.
Some of these recordings have been re-released on the following CDs: