Fran Warren

"Frances Wolfe" redirects here. For other uses, see Frances Wolfe (disambiguation).
Fran Warren
Gene Williams and Fran Warren, New York City, c. October 1947
Gene Williams and Fran Warren, New York City, c. October 1947
Background information
Birth nameFrances Wolff
Born(1926-03-04)March 4, 1926
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 2013(2013-03-04) (aged 87)
Brookfield, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationSinger
Years active1947–1978

Frances Wolff (March 4, 1926 – March 4, 2013), known professionally as Fran Warren, was an American singer.[1]

She was born into a Jewish family in the New York City borough of the Bronx.[2] After some time in a chorus line at the Roxy Theater, she joined Art Mooney's big band and worked with Billy Eckstine, who gave her the name "Fran Warren".[3][4] She spent almost two years with the Charlie Barnet band before achieving some recognition with Claude Thornhill.[3] In 1947, she reached the music charts for the first time with the song "A Sunday Kind of Love" written by her manager, Barbara Belle.[2]

She began a solo career in 1948 when she signed a contract with RCA Victor.[3] She had a hit record with "I Said My Pajamas (and Put On My Pray'rs)", a duet with Tony Martin which reached No. 3 on the charts. During the same year, she sang on the radio program Sing It Again.[2] In the early 1950s, after a number of her records failed to chart, she signed with MGM Records. Her last chart hit was "It's Anybody's Heart" in 1953. Her albums included Hey There! Here's Fran Warren arranged by Marty Paich[3] and Something's Coming arranged by Ralph Burns and Al Cohn. Warren performed in the musicals Mame, South Pacific, and The Pajama Game and went on tour with the big band of Harry James.[3]

Personal life

She lived in Connecticut until her death on March 4, 2013, her 87th birthday.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1951 Mr. Imperium Fredda Singing voice, Uncredited
1952 Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd Lady Jane
1972 Toys Are Not for Children Edna Godard (final film role)

Discography

  • Mood Indigo (MGM, 1956)
  • Hey There! Here's Fran Warren (Tops, 1957)
  • Come Rain or Come Shine (Venise, 1959)
  • Something's Coming (Warwick, 1960)
  • Come into My World (Audio Fidelity, 1968)
  • Fran Warren in Nashville (Audio Fidelity, 1969)
  • The Complete Fran Warren with Claude Thornhill Orchestra (Collector's Choice, 2000)
  • Let's Fall in Love (Dutton Vocalion, 2003)

References

  1. ^ Profile, legacy.com; accessed August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Campbell, Lilian (February 9, 1949). "Grab Bag". The Kane Republican. Kane Republican. p. 4. Retrieved March 11, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b c d e Yanow, Scott (2008). The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide. Backbeat. pp. 223–224. ISBN 978-0-87930-825-4.
  4. ^ Brandle, Lars (20 March 2013). "'Sunday Kind of Love' Singer Fran Warren Dies at 87". Billboard. Retrieved 11 September 2019.