Annette Warren Coming to Catalina Jazz Club, 7/13

Annette Warren, the "secret" singing voice of Ava Gardner and Lucille Ball in such films as the MGM classic "Show Boat," and a nightclub, TV and recording star who career spans the past 70 years, will celebrate her 94th birthday with a special performance of her new one-woman show, "I Ain't Done Yet" at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on Wed., July 13 at 8:30 PM. The show will trace her life with songs and stories from her beginning in Cleveland, through her successes in New York, London and Los Angeles.

Warren, a classically-trained pianist as well as singer, was discovered in the early 1940's by arranger and vocal coach Phil Moore, who recorded her for the Black and White label. She also gained the attention of composer Meredith Willson, and was soon traveling back and forth between New York and L.A., singing in clubs and on radio with increasing success, receiving a radio contract with RCA. She appeared at such clubs at One Fifth Avenue, the St. Regis Maisonette, the Blue Angel, the Bon Soir, and Ye Little Club.

In 1948, she was hired by Paramount to dub the singing voice of comedienne Iris Adrian in the Bob Hope film "The Paleface," which began a new facet of her career. This was followed by two films dubbing songs for Lucille Ball, "Sorrowful Jones" and "Fancy Pants".

She also did all of the female voices for the UPA animated version of the Frankie and Johnny story entitled "Rooty Toot Toot," which received an Oscar nominated as Best Short. In 1951, she read that MGM was looking for someone to record the songs for Ava Gardner in "Show Boat," and she won the job over such competition as Dinah Shore, Ginny Simms and Lee Wiley, who had all auditioned. Her renditions of "Bill" and "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" were considered definitive, and Barbra Streisand later acknowledged Warren's version of the latter song as one of her inspirations for her "Broadway Album".

She had her own local TV show, "Annette Warren Time" on CBS, recorded an album and several singles for ABC Paramount, and replaced Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Peachum in the long-running off-Broadway production of "The Threepenny Opera" with Jerry Orbach, Ed Asner and Beatrice Arthur.

In 1958, Warren married legendary jazz pianist Paul Smith, temporarily putting her career on hold to raise their four children, but continuing to occasionally record and perform, including the Capitol album with Smith entitled "His and Hers". Resuming her career full time, she recorded an additional series of albums and also joined the show "Hollywood's Secret Singing Stars," with such other movie dubbers as India Adams, Betty Wand and Jo Ann Greer.

Fresh Sound Records recently released a two-CD compilation of her rare singles from the 1940's and 50's and she is currently busy completing a brand-new album for release later this summer.

Warren will be accompanied for her new show by Bob Remstein on piano and Jim De Julio on bass. The Catalina Jazz Club is located at 6725 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and the phone for reservations and information is 323-466-2210.