Val Rosing
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Valerian Rosing (1910–1969), also known after 1938 as Gilbert Russell, was a British dance band singer best known as the vocalist with the
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in the BBC Dance Orchestra directed by Henry Hall. Rosing was the son of Russian tenor Vladimir Rosing and English singer Marie Falle. Rosing sang on the original BBC recording of "
Teddy Bears' Picnic "The Teddy Bears' Picnic" is a song consisting of a melody written in 1907 by American composer John Walter Bratton, and lyrics added in 1932 by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. It remains popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom as a children ...
" as well as "In a Little Gypsy Tea Room". He also sang on the Ray Noble Orchestra's version of "
Try a Little Tenderness "Try a Little Tenderness" is a song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, and Harry M. Woods. Early versions It was first recorded on December 8, 1932, by the Ray Noble Orchestra, with vocals by Val Rosing. Another version, also recorde ...
", the first recording of this well-covered song. Rosing recorded more than one hundred sides with various English bands, including Spike Hughes and His Decca-Dents, the Jack Payne Orchestra, Jack Hylton's Orchestra and Rosing's own Radio Rhythm Rascals. In 1938, Rosing moved to America at the urging of
Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1884Mayer maintained that he was born in Minsk on July 4, 1885. According to Scott Eyman, the reasons may have been: * Mayer's father gave different dates for his birthplace at different times, so ...
, who renamed him Gilbert Russell, with hopes of making Rosing the "English
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
". His years at
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were uneventful and, after his stint with the studio, he sang and acted in musicals and light operas around the country. Making the transition from pop to "legitimate" singer, Rosing legally changed his name to Gilbert Russell and sang in '' Chicago Theater of the Air'', the
New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...
, and the
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. During March 1960, Russell performed in ''Tonight at the Opera'' starring
Kathryn Grayson Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano. From the age of 12, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ...
at the Sombrero Playhouse in
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. Russell sang the final scenes from ''
Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
'' with Jean Cook, to an audience that included then first lady
Mamie Eisenhower Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (; November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979) was First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household in Colo ...
. His father, Vladimir Rosing, staged the production. In the 1960s, Gilbert Russell worked as one of Hollywood's top vocal coaches, with students that included
Natalie Wood Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress. She began acting at age four and co-starred at age eight in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award f ...
, George Chakiris,
June Lockhart June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925) is an American retired actress, beginning a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in such films as A Christmas Carol (1938 film), ''A Christmas Carol'' and ''Meet Me in St. Louis''. She appeared primarily in 1950 ...
and Tina Louise. Russell was married three times. The first, in 1932, was to English actress Meriel Carrington. They had a daughter, the artist Anna Edouard. His second marriage was in 1953 to Marilyn Pendry, a dancer in movies such as '' White Christmas'' and ''
An American in Paris ''An American in Paris'' is a jazz-influenced symphonic poem (or tone poem) for orchestra by American composer George Gershwin first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and en ...
''. They had one daughter, Claudia Russell, before divorcing. Russell's third marriage was in 1961 to June Baum, a singer and actress. Gilbert Russell (Val Rosing) died of colon cancer in 1969 at the age of 59 and is buried at Eden Cemetery in Los Angeles.


References


External links


British Pathé Search: Val Rosing &md britishpathe.com
* (sung by Val Rosing, 1932) * (sung by Val Rosing, 1937) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosing, Val English male singers 1910 births 1969 deaths Place of birth missing English expatriates in the United States Deaths from cancer in California English pop singers 20th-century English singers 20th-century English male singers