Biography
Julia May Wilson, 21 October 1924, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. An actress and singer, Wilson is acknowledged as one of the greatest interpreters of standard popular songs in the world of cabaret. Her sophisticated image, with a figure-hugging gown, and a gardenia tucked into her swept-back gleaming black hair, is a reminder of a bygone era. She started young, being voted ‘Miss Nebraska’ when she was only 17. A year later, she joined the chorus of a touring edition of the Earl Carroll Vanities which was passing through Omaha, and ended up in New York. From there, she moved to a Miami nightclub, doing a solo act five shows a night. It was in Miami that she believes she learnt how to control an audience with the occasional aggressive ‘drop-dead bitchy’ remark. Next stop was Los Angeles where she won a contest on Mickey Rooney’s radio show. The prize was a two-week engagement at Hollywood’s top nightclub, the Mocambo. Soon afterwards she was...
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