Annie Ross (born Annabelle Allan Short; 25 July 193021 July 2020) was a British-American singer and actress, best known as a member of the influential

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

vocal trio

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their ...

. She helped pioneer the

vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...

style of jazz singing, with a style described by critic

Dave Gelly Dave Gelly MBE (born 28 January 1938) is a British jazz critic. A long-standing contributor to ''The Observer'', he was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. Gelly is also a jazz saxophonist and broadcaster, presenting a ...

as "a kind of dreamy watchfulness that is a definition of 1950s hip." In 2010, she was named a Jazz Master by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

Kenneth Tynan Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Initially making his mark as a critic at ''The Observer'', he praised John Osborne's ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) and encouraged the emerging wave ...

, who wrote liner notes for Ross, called her "a fallen angel homoves us and then brushes off our sympathy with a shrug of her lips."

Early life

Ross was born in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, England, the daughter of Scottish vaudevillians John "Jack" Short and Mary Dalziel Short (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Allan). Her brother was Scottish entertainer and theatre producer and director

Jimmy Logan James Allan Short, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE, RSAMD, FRSAMD (4 April 1928 – 13 April 2001), known professionally as Jimmy Logan, was a Scotland, Scottish performer, theatrical producer, impresario and Theatre director, ...

. She first appeared on stage at age three. At the age of four, she travelled to New York by ship with her family; she later recalled that they "got the cheapest ticket, which was right in the bowels of the ship." Shortly after arriving in the city, she won a token contract with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

through a children's radio contest run by

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

. She subsequently moved with her aunt, Scottish-American singer and actress

Ella Logan Ella Logan (born Georgina Armour Allan; 6 March 1913 – 1 May 1969) was a Scottish-American actress and singer who appeared on Broadway, recorded and had a nightclub career in the United States and internationally. Early years Logan was bo ...

, to Los Angeles, and her mother, father and brother returned to Scotland. She did not see her parents again until fourteen years later. At the age of seven, she sang "

The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" (or "Loch Lomond") is a traditional Scotland, Scottish folk song (Roud Folk Song Index, Roud No. 9598).Our Gang Follies of 1938 ''Our Gang Follies of 1938'' (later reissued as simply ''Follies of 1938'') is a 1937 American musical short subject, the 161st short subject entry in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') series. Directed by Gordon Douglas as a sequel t ...

'', and played

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

's character's sister in ''

Presenting Lily Mars ''Presenting Lily Mars'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, produced by Joe Pasternak, starring Judy Garland and Van Heflin, and based on the 1933 novel by Booth Tarkington. The film is often cited as Garland's fir ...

'' (1943). At the age of 14, she wrote the song "Let's Fly", which won a songwriting contest and was recorded by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

and

the Pied Pipers The Pied Pipers are an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits throughout the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey, with Johnny Mercer and with Frank Sin ...

. At the end of 10th grade, she left school, changed her name to Annie Ross, and went to Europe, where she established her singing career. She changed her surname to Ross during the plane trip to

Prestwick Prestwick () is a town in South Ayrshire on the west coast of Ayrshire in Scotland about southwest of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr to the south on the Firth of Clyde coast, the centre of which is about south, and the small vi ...

; in a 2011 interview, she said: "My aunt was very fanciful and she said I had an Irish grandmother called Ross, so that's where that surname came from."

Career

In 1952, Ross met

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

owner

Bob Weinstock Bob Weinstock (October 2, 1928 – January 14, 2006) was an American record producer best known for his label Prestige Records, established in 1949, which was responsible for many significant jazz recordings during his more than two decades o ...

, who asked her to write lyrics to a jazz solo in a similar way to

King Pleasure King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1982) was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo. Biography Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, ...

, a practice that would later be known as

. The next day, she presented him with " Twisted", a treatment of saxophonist

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist. Biography Early years The youngest of four children, Gray was born in Oklahoma City. He spent his early childhood years in Oklahoma b ...

's 1949 composition of that title, a classic example of the genre. The song, first released in 1952 (later collected on the album ''King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings''), was an underground hit, and resulted in her winning ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' magazine's New Star award. In February 1956, the British music magazine ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' reported that Ross's version of the song " I Want You to Be My Baby" was

banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...

by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

due to the lyric "Come upstairs and have some loving". She recorded seven albums with

between 1957 and 1962. Their first, ''

Sing a Song of Basie ''Sing a Song of Basie'' is the 1958 debut album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Track listing # " Every Day I Have the Blues" (Memphis Slim) – 5:18 # "It's Sand, Man!" ( Hendricks, Lambert, Ed Lewis) – 2:27 # "Two for the Blues" (Neal Hef ...

'' (1957), was to have been performed by a group of singers hired by

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

and Dave Lambert with Ross brought in only as vocal consultant. It was decided that the trio should attempt to record the material and

overdub Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...

all the additional vocals themselves, but the first two tracks were recorded and deemed unsatisfactory so they ditched the dubbing idea. The resulting album was a success, and the trio became an international hit. Over the next five years, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross toured all over the world and recorded such albums as ''

The Hottest New Group in Jazz ''The Hottest New Group in Jazz'', also known by its full title ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!: "The Hottest New Group in Jazz"'' or alternatively considered self-titled, is the fourth album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, released in December 1959 ...

'' (1959), ''Sing Ellington'' (1960), ''High Flying'' (1962), and ''

The Real Ambassadors ''The Real Ambassadors'' is a jazz musical developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by Dave and Iola Brubeck, in collaboration with Louis Armstrong and his band. It addressed the Civil Rights Movement, the music business, America's place in t ...

'' (1962), written by

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

and featuring

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

and

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

. Ross left the group in 1962. In 1964 she opened a nightclub in London. Annie's Room hosted Joe Williams,

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

Stuff Smith Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist. He is well known for the song " If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper"). Smith was, al ...

Blossom Dearie Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Profile at AllMusic/ref> Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City ov ...

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

. Her adulthood film roles included Liza in '' Straight On till Morning'' (1972), Claire in ''

Alfie Darling ''Alfie Darling'' (also known as ''Oh Alfie!'' and ''Oh Alfie'') is a 1975 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Ken Hughes, and starring Alan Price, Jill Townsend, Paul Copley and Joan Collins. It is the sequel to '' Alfie'' (1966) ...

'' (1976), Diana Sharman in '' Funny Money'' (1983), Vera Webster in ''

Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and the sequel to ''S ...

'' (1983), Mrs. Hazeltine in ''

Throw Momma from the Train ''Throw Momma from the Train'' is a 1987 American crime black comedy film starring and directed by Danny DeVito in his theatrical directorial debut. It co-stars Billy Crystal, Anne Ramsey, Rob Reiner, Branford Marsalis, Kim Greist and Kate ...

'' (1987), Rose Brooks in ''

Witchery Witchery is a Swedish blackened thrash/speed metal band formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Rille" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, vocalist Angus Norde ...

'' (1988), Loretta Cresswood in '' Pump Up the Volume'' (1990), Tess Trainer in

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

's ''

Short Cuts ''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film is set in Los Angeles, in contr ...

'' (1993), and Lydia in '' Blue Sky'' (1994). She also appeared as Granny Ruth in the horror films ''

Basket Case 2 ''Basket Case 2'' is a 1990 American comedy horror film written and directed by Frank Henenlotter, and the sequel to his 1982 film '' Basket Case''. It stars Kevin Van Hentenryck reprising his role as Duane Bradley, who moves with his deformed, ...

'' (1990) and '' Basket Case 3: The Progeny'' (1991). She also had a bit part in

's '' The Player'' in 1992. Ross also starred in

Scottish Television Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchisee for Central Belt, Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation si ...

's comedy-drama ''

Charles Endell Esquire ''Charles Endell Esquire'' is a British comedy-drama series that is a spin-off of the series '' Budgie'', with the role of Endell continuing to be played by Iain Cuthbertson. Due to an ITV technicians' strike which took the network completely ...

'' (1979). She provided the speaking voice for

Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Double Man (1967 film), The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They ...

in ''

The Wicker Man ''The Wicker Man'' is a 1973 British folk horror film directed by Robin Hardy (film director), Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt and Christopher Lee. The screenplay is by Anthony Shaffer (writer ...

'' (1973), and

Ingrid Thulin Ingrid Lilian Thulin (; 27 January 1926 – 7 January 2004) was a Swedish actress and director who collaborated with filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She was often cast as harrowing and desperate characters, and earned acclaim from both Swedish and in ...

's singing voice in ''

Salon Kitty Salon Kitty was a high-class Berlin brothel used by the Nazi intelligence service, the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), for espionage purposes during . Created in the early 1930s by Katharina "Kitty" Schmidt, the salon was taken over by Nazi secre ...

'' (1976). On stage, she appeared in ''Cranks'' (1955; London and New York City), ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...

'' (1972), ''

The Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins is a classification of vices used in Christian teachings. Seven deadly sins may also refer to: Art * ''The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things'', a 1485 painting by Hieronymus Bosch * ''The Seven Deadly Sins of Modern ...

'' (1973) at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

, ''Kennedy's Children'' (1975) at Arts Theatre, London, ''

Side by Side by Sondheim ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from ''Company''. History The musical had its origins when David Kernan was asked by Cle ...

'', and in the

Joe Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...

production of ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'' (1982).

Personal life

In 1949, Ross had a brief affair with drummer

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride ...

. This affair produced a son, Kenny Clarke Jr. (born 1950), who was raised by Clarke's brother and his wife. During her time with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, she became addicted to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

and in the late 1950s had an affair with the comedian

Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of come ...

, who was also having drug problems. By 1960,

Carol Sloane Carol Sloane (March 5, 1937 – January 23, 2023) was an American jazz singer. Biography Born Carol Morvan in Providence, Rhode Island to parents Frank and Claudia (Rainville) Morvan, she began singing professionally when she was 14, although f ...

was substituting for her on tour. After a performance by the trio in London in May 1962, she remained in London to confront her drug addiction. In 1963, she married actor Sean Lynch; they divorced in 1975, and he died in a car crash soon afterwards. By that time, she had also lost her home and declared bankruptcy. She became a United States citizen in 2001. Ross died in New York City on 21 July 2020 from

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

, four days before her 90th birthday.

Awards and honours

Ross received the

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

Jazz Wall of Fame award (2009), the

Jazz Masters' Award (2010), and the MAC Award for Lifetime Achievement (2011). In July 2006 a one-woman play entitled ''TWISTED: The Annie Ross Story'' by Brian McGeachan premiered at The Space Theatre in London, starring Verity Quade. It focused on her stormy relationship with her aunt, Broadway legend Ella Logan, her brief affair with the comedian Lenny Bruce and her addiction to heroin. The play transferred to the

Brockley Jack Theatre The Brockley Jack Theatre (also known as the Jack Studio Theatre) is an Off West End theatre in the Crofton Park area of Lewisham, south London. It shares a building with the Brockley Jack pub. The theatre was founded by David Kincaid, Michael ...

in London that same year, with Ross being played by Betsy Pennington. A documentary about Ross's life, entitled '' No One But Me'', premiered at the

Glasgow Film Festival The Glasgow Film Festival is an annual film festival based in Glasgow, Scotland. The festival began in 2005. By 2015, the festival had seen audience figures top 40,000 for two consecutive years. It is now considered one of the top film festivals ...

in 2012.

Discography

* ''New Sounds from France'' with Jack Dieval, James Moody (Prestige, 1950) * ''Annie by Candlelight'' with Tony Crombie (Pye, Nixa, 1956) * ''Cranks'' with John Cranko, John Addison (His Master's Voice, 1956) * ''Gypsy'' with Buddy Bregman (World Pacific, 1959) * ''A Gasser!'' with Zoot Sims (World Pacific, 1959) * ''

Annie Ross Sings a Song with Mulligan! ''Annie Ross Sings a Song with Mulligan!'' is an album by vocalist Annie Ross with jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1957 and 1958 which were released on the World Pacific Pacific Jazz Records was ...

'' with Gerry Mulligan (World Pacific, 1959) * ''Sings a Handful of Songs'' (Ember, 1963) * ''Loguerhythms: Songs from the Establishment'' with Tony Kinsey (Transatlantic, 1963) * ''Portrait of Annie Ross'' (Pye, 1965) * ''Recorded at the Tenth German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt'' with Pony Poindexter (SABA, 1966) * ''Fill My Heart with Song'' (Decca, 1968) * ''Singin' 'n' Swingin'' with Dorothy Dunn, Shelby Davis (Savoy, 1969) * ''You and Me Baby'' (Decca, 1971) * ''

In Hoagland ''In Hoagland'' is an album by Georgie Fame, Annie Ross and Hoagy Carmichael, featuring a band of leading UK jazz musicians and arrangements by Harry South. Originally released under the title ''In Hoagland '81'', it was recorded in London and r ...

'' with Hoagy Carmichael, Georgie Fame (Bald Eagle, 1981) * ''Like Someone in Love'' (Bulldog, 1983) * ''Music Is Forever'' (DRG, 1996) * ''Live in London'' (Harkit, 2003) * ''To Lady with Love'' (Red Anchor, 2014) With Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks * ''

'' (ABC-Paramount, 1958) * ''The Swingers!'' with Zoot Sims (World Pacific, 1959) * ''

Sing Along with Basie Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

'' with Count Basie, Joe Williams (Roulette, 1959) * ''

'' (Columbia, 1959) * ''Sing Ellington'' with Ike Isaacs (Columbia, 1960) * ''High Flying'' with Ike Isaacs (Columbia, 1961) * ''

'' with Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Carmen McRae (Columbia Masterworks, 1962) * ''Everybody's Boppin'' (Columbia, 1989) compilation

Filmography

References

External links

* *
"I Was Billie Holiday's Replacement"
BBC Radio 4 documentary about Ross broadcast on 25 May 2017 *
Collection: Annie Ross papers: archives and special collections at Rutgers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Annie 1930 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers American women jazz singers American film actresses American jazz singers American voice actresses British emigrants to the United States British women jazz singers Deaths from emphysema English film actresses English jazz singers English people of Scottish descent English voice actresses Lambert, Hendricks & Ross members Nightclub owners RCA Victor artists Transatlantic Records artists Vocalese singers Volpi Cup winners 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers People from Mitcham Actresses from Surrey Actors from the London Borough of Merton NEA Jazz Masters