Bellinda Myrick
Encyclopedia
Bellinda Myrick, also known as Bellinda Myrick-Barnett (born 1948), is an American singer and actress.
and raised in Odessa
, Texas
, by parents LaVerne & bluegrass
performer Bill Myrick
. She is a niece of the late Louisiaan State Senator
W. Spencer Myrick
.
in 1966, and followed in her father's footsteps beginning a professional singing career while attending the University of Texas at Austin
. She traveled with an International cast of Up With People
during 1967-1968. Myrick was awarded the titles of Miss Texas
and Miss West Texas and was chosen to be one of the six state title holders that accompanied Miss America
Phyllis George
as part of the Miss America USO Show to South Vietnam
.
Myrick went on to work at MGM Studios in Los Angeles, California
where she lived for eleven years and was involved in charity work with the Thalians and Associates for Troubled Children. She performed as a singer and actress around the world, working numerous times over the years as a special guest star for Bob Hope
, as well as Red Skelton
and Willie Nelson
.
Producer Hal B. Wallis
cast Myrick in the leading role of "Ronnie" in the movie A Stone for Danny Fisher
, a remake of the Harold Robbins
novel of the same name, but Wallis died of a heart attack while the movie was still in pre-production and production halted.
.
Early years
Myrick was born in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and raised in Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, by parents LaVerne & bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
performer Bill Myrick
Bill Myrick
Billie E. Myrick, known as Bill Myrick , is an American Country musician, originally from Simpson County in south central Mississippi but a long-time resident of Odessa in West Texas.-Family:...
. She is a niece of the late Louisiaan State Senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
W. Spencer Myrick
Spencer Myrick
Willie Spencer Myrick, known as W. Spencer Myrick was a Democratic member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from West Carroll Parish in northeastern Louisiana....
.
Career
Myrick graduated from Odessa High SchoolOdessa High School
Odessa High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. The full name of the school is Odessa Senior High School. This name was originally to differentiate it from Odessa Junior High School...
in 1966, and followed in her father's footsteps beginning a professional singing career while attending the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. She traveled with an International cast of Up With People
Up with People
Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
during 1967-1968. Myrick was awarded the titles of Miss Texas
Miss Texas
The Miss Texas competition was founded in 1936 as a scholarship contest for young women. The winner represents Texas in the Miss America pageant; three winners have gone on to be crowned Miss America ....
and Miss West Texas and was chosen to be one of the six state title holders that accompanied Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Phyllis George
Phyllis George
Phyllis Ann George Brown is an American businesswoman, actress and a former sportscaster. She is a former Miss Texas and Miss America of 1971.- Early life :...
as part of the Miss America USO Show to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
Myrick went on to work at MGM Studios in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
where she lived for eleven years and was involved in charity work with the Thalians and Associates for Troubled Children. She performed as a singer and actress around the world, working numerous times over the years as a special guest star for Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, as well as Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
.
Producer Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis was an American film producer.-Career:Harold Brent Wallis was born in Chicago in 1898. His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros...
cast Myrick in the leading role of "Ronnie" in the movie A Stone for Danny Fisher
A Stone for Danny Fisher
A Stone For Danny Fisher is a very serious, early novel by Harold Robbins that looks at the effect of the Great Depression on a lower-middle class Jewish family. Written in 1952 it is actually set in the period up to 1944.-Plot summary:...
, a remake of the Harold Robbins
Harold Robbins
Harold Robbins was one of the best-selling American authors of all time. During his career, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages....
novel of the same name, but Wallis died of a heart attack while the movie was still in pre-production and production halted.
Personal life
Myrick-Barnett finished her third novel to be published in 2009 and lives with her husband and two sons in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
External links
- Bellinda Myrick's myspace page
- http://www.oaoa.com/news/odessa-33360-myrick-elvis.html