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The same day another email arrive which went as follows:-
Your kind letter to "Helen" in Texas
was received by me this afternoon. I'm glad
Arlene Leonard put us in touch.
To clear up the confusion: at birth, I was named Helen Patricia Freiday, but was never called Helen -- just Pat.
And when I started in "show business," the "e" in Freiday was dropped,
and I became Pat Friday.
Wow could this be true the Helen I wrote to
turns out to be the very person I have thought about for years and now with the aid of this new gadget that has
become so much part of our lived 'The Computer' I find myself writing to that very person.
I'd be happy to answer questions for you, and
with e-mail, nothing could be easier for us. To answer one of your questions right off: the Miller films were at
the close of my very short career; really, there was nothing subsequent. A couple of old Decca records before that,
and very large number of Armed Forces radio recordings during World War II; many of the folks who attend the Miller
Festival in Clarinda Iowa started sending them to me about four or five years ago. One old lifetime friend
made a tape of all that he could find . . . including some very strange songs! You might be interested in a copy
of that.
You can imagine that I soon replied to Pat with a list of questions.
I had told her that I had only been able to imagine her with the face of Lynn Bari as I listened to her singing.
Pat said that in fact "Lynn Bari was tall, slim, dark and she was then short, plump and blonde". How
wrong could I be?
She found Lynn a pleasure to work with while
she trained to lip sync. to Pat singing.
Why weren't you given credits on the film
for your singing voice? Was my next question, to which Pat replied.
"Credits" were not given to ghost
singers. In fact, my contract with 20th Century Fox forbade my telling anyone! My usual accompanist and voice coach
were even banned from the studio lot!
Ghosts were to be heard and never ever seen.
How were you chosen to sing for these parts?
Apparently Mr Miller heard me on radio, contacted
my agent, and asked if I would do the job.
I agreed to do the first (and then the second)
GM film. I did meet GM, but only in passing.
I was coached by the Fox music department,
did meet Miss Bari, learned the songs, and recorded them in a booth "walled off" from the orchestra.
That was usual then, even for people who
did their own singing.
Each of the films took less than a week.
For this I was paid about $500 per film, with no residuals for recordings, re-issues, etc. And no credits, for
many years.
Can you tell me something about your life:-
OK, I'll try to cut it short. Born in Idaho
1921; family moved to Los Angeles in 1923. Only child. Father died; Mother worked and to 'keep me busy' enrolled
me after school for dance lessons. . . which I managed to
change-over to singing lessons when the
poor dear wasn't looking!
Entered university at 15; sorority sisters made me enter a college student talent contest for the 5 Western states
of the US. I won. Prize was a guest appearance on national radio (Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall). He and his brothers
put me under contract to them and groomed me for "big stuff". I took over their Kraft Music Hall for
two summers, guested on a lot of national radio programs. Continued at University, did a little recording (and
watched Hitler gather steam).
Over the dead bodies of the Crosby office,
I married; they blackballed me in the entertainment business. Didn't bother me too much; singing was never my 'day
job.' Moved to Texas; US entered war; husband enlisted and for a time I was a camp follower. He went to 8th Air
Force, our son was born, and finding a military 'allotment' rather meagre, I enlisted the help of the mother of
the Crosby "boys" and she made them lift the blackball. I went back to singing.
Mostly I sang as a volunteer for the military
and to sell War Bonds. Made many armed forces radio broadcasts, sang lullabies at military hospitals, met hospital
ships at Long Beach, did some Hollywood Canteen shows, sang almost every Friday night at a small, stodgy men's
club where the members cooked the dinner, invited servicemen "off the streets" to dinner and a show.
Flew up and down the California coast on military transport to give small shows to small military outposts. Not
very glamorous, no pay, but that is the singing I'm proudest of.
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photo Roy Rogers Dale Evans museum
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Did have to make a living. Was the featured singer with Jack
Webb on a series sponsored by United Airlines (before he did "Dragnet" -- ever wondered why he later
became Sgt. Friday?) Then a couple of seasons as feature singer with Roy Rogers (during a time when Dale Evans
and her film studio were having problems). RR wasn't bad, but OH, some of those songs! |
Jack Webb |
Then as a reward for those Yippee-Ah-Yeaa songs, I signed on as the singer on the Victor Borge radio show. That
was a delight and a joy. A genuinely funny man who was also kind, intelligent, witty, and gentle. About the time
the Borge show was up for renewal, my dear husband came home from the wars and once again I left Hollywood for
Texas, and then 1950-1952 to Caterham Surrey while David took his doctorate at the University of London.
Two children: son David died in 1992; daughter Catharine
lives nearby. I made listings in Who's Who in Finance and Who's Who in American Women . . . defunct now; nobody
expects octogenarians to 'keep up' but mostly I do. Still hold a couple of directorships and David and I tend a
scientific service handled by the 'net. But mostly, now, life is friends, church activities, neighborhood responsibilities,
and lots and lots of reading! At last! time enough to read almost as much as I want.
I promised Arlene Leonard that I would try to attend next year's festival marking the 100th birthday of GM. And
that I'd sing something if they'd find me an accompanist who could figure out a key I could handle. I still don't
read music; apparently had a good ear once and could learn a song so quickly no one suspected my dark secret. It
has precluded my singing in the church choir now, for which I am grateful!
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Band leader Bill Baker with Pat.
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Pat at the Glenn Miller Festival 2000 enjoy the ride in vintage car
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Pat will Slip Osten
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Lynn
Bari
