A pioneering jazz vocalist and actress, known for her distinctive, velvety tone and iconic performances in films and stage productions.
Annie Ross, a British-American singer and actress, is best known as a member of the influential jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, renowned for pioneering the vocalese style of jazz singing. With a unique, dreamy, and watchful voice, Ross's style epitomized the essence of 1950s hip.
Born Annabelle McCauley Allan Short on July 25, 1930, in Surrey, England, Ross was the daughter of Scottish vaudevillians John Jack Short and Mary Dalziel Short (née Allan). Her brother, Jimmy Logan, would later become a Scottish entertainer, theatre producer, and director. Ross's early life was steeped in performance, with her first stage appearance at just three years old.
At the age of four, Ross traveled to New York with her family, where she won a token contract with MGM through a children's radio contest run by Paul Whiteman. This early success led to her moving with her aunt, Scottish-American singer and actress Ella Logan, to Los Angeles, while her parents and brother returned to Scotland. Ross would not see her parents again for fourteen years.
At the age of seven, Ross sang "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" in Our Gang Follies of 1938, and played Judy Garland's character's sister in Presenting Lily Mars (1943). By fourteen, she had written the song "Let's Fly," which won a songwriting contest and was recorded by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers.
After leaving school at the end of 10th grade, Ross changed her name to Annie Ross and embarked on a singing career in Europe. It was during this period that she established herself as a talented young vocalist, paving the way for her future success.
In the 1950s, Ross joined forces with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks to form the legendary jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. The group's innovative vocalese style, which featured complex vocal harmonies and scat singing, earned them critical acclaim and a devoted following.
Their debut album, Sing a Song of Basie (1957), was a groundbreaking success, earning the trio a Grammy nomination. Their subsequent albums, including Sing Ellington (1957) and The Hottest New Group in Jazz (1959), cemented their status as jazz legends.
In 2010, Ross was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, a testament to her enduring influence on the jazz world. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of musicians and fans alike, with her unique vocalese style remaining an integral part of jazz history.
Annie Ross's remarkable life and career serve as a testament to her innovative spirit, dedication to her craft, and the enduring power of jazz music.
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