Amy Arnell
Amy Arnell was an American singer, best known for her work with Tommy Tucker and his orchestra.
Early years
[edit | edit source]Arnell was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. As early as age 3, she would sit on a piano and sing while her mother played. She attended Woodrow Wilson High School and the College of William & Mary and gained singing experience in her church choir and on radio stations.[1]
Before she made a career of singing, she worked as a secretary.[1]
Career
[edit | edit source]Arnell caught the attention of Tucker when he heard her sing while he and his band were in Portsmouth. She auditioned for him and was hired.[2] Later, her recording of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" with the Tucker orchestra "became a smash hit", selling half a million records for Columbia.[3] The recording's success boosted the band from cheaper one-night stands "into the higher brackets."[3] Arnell also appeared with Tucker and his orchestra in the short film It's Tommy Tucker Time (1943), which was part of the RKO Pictures Jamboree Series.[4] The short was reissued in 1947.[5]
Arnell debuted on radio in Detroit on Phil Baker's program,[1] and in 1937-1938 she sang with Tucker's orchestra on George Jessel's Thirty Minutes in Hollywood program.[6] In 1939–1940, she appeared with Tucker and his orchestra on Pot o' Gold.[7] In December 1945, she joined the cast of The Abbott and Costello Show, replacing vocalist Connie Haines.[8]
On December 7, 1943, Arnell left Tucker to do a solo act, performing at theaters.[9] A review in the trade publication Variety in December 1943 evaluated her performance with the comment, "Lacking a voice and with averaged delivery and looks, she scores mildly here."[10]
Other activities
[edit | edit source]Arnell was half-owner of a florist shop in Hollywood.[11]
References
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External links
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