Maureen Cannon

Maureen Catherine Cannon (December 3, 1924 - September 4, 2004) was an American singer and actress.

Early years Maureen Catherine Cannon was born in Chicago, was a streetcar conductor in Chicago. She had a theatrical background on her mother, By age 12, however, she "decided there was nothing in it" and focused her attention on singing instead.

Her voice attracted the attention of Chicago impresario Paul Longone when she was 15 years old. He saw her future as a coloratura opera singer, but his death and her changing musical preferences turned her interest to a career in popular music. She sang in some local clubs and in a production of My Maryland at Providence High School in Chicago. On July 7, 1941, actor Ezra Stone visited Chicago looking for talent, and Cannon sang for him. portraying Helen Schlessinger in Best Foot Forward (1941). An Associated Press article about her noted that she sang two hit songs in the musical and that she was "overshadowed only by Rosemary Lane in the importance of her role". Following the Broadway production, She performed on the road in Best Foot Forward including a run in Chicago. Her film debut came in Get Going (1943). Two of the film's songs, "Got Love" and "Hold that Line", were written especially for Cannon's singing style. She also appeared in the film Gals, Incorporated (1943), but her option was not picked up. performing there for 14 weeks. Another debut followed in July 1944 when she performed in a St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre presentation for the first time. The production was Hit the Deck. She returned to Muny Opera a month later to sing the title role in Irene. She also performed with Starlight Operettas in Dallas. The opportunity for that role arose when producer Mike Todd was dissatisfied with the performance of the actress who had the role in tryouts in Philadelphia. He contacted Cannon, who left her work in a night club in Washington and auditioned for the part. The audition was successful, and she stepped into the part five days before the show opened on Broadway. After that show's Broadway run concluded, she went with the road version on a coast-to-coast tour. Of Thee I Sing (1950), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1959). Other TV programs on which she appeared included Eddie Fisher's and Jack Paar's shows, Goodyear Playhouse, She also performed for 13 weeks on a BBC program in England. Other venues in which she performed included the Mapes Hotel in Reno, the Palmer House in Chicago, the Shamrock Hotel in Dallas, and the Waldorf Astoria in New York.