Carol Richards
Encyclopedia
Carol Swiedler (born 6 June 1922 in Harvard, Illinois
, died in Vero Beach, Florida
, March 16, 2007) was an American singer, radio and television performer, remembered for her duet with Bing Crosby
on the hit single "Silver Bells".
At the start of her career in her early 20s, Carol Richards won a Bob Hope
talent contest, moved to Hollywood and appeared on numerous TV shows
including I Love Lucy
, Name That Tune
, The Saturday Night Review, and variety shows hosted by Ralph Edwards
, Dennis Day
, Pinky Lee
, Edgar Bergen
, and Ezio Pinza
. For four years (1953–1957), she was a regular cast member on the Bob Crosby Show. She was the movie singing voice for Vera Ellen in Call Me Madam, for Cyd Charisse
in Silk Stockings, Brigadoon, Deep in my Heart, and It's Always Fair Weather, and for Betta St. John in The Robe. She worked frequently with Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis, and Bob Hope, and sang with the Russ Morgan and Desi Arnaz Bands. In the 1960s after moving to Chicago
, Richards performed at numerous club dates, and appeared frequently on Don McNeil's famous radio show, The Breakfast Club.
Following her performing career, Richards continued her work as an artist, completing numerous sculptures, pastels, and oil paintings as well as publishing a book Letters from the Cosmos with her husband.
Richards had 13 children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was survived by her husband of 40 years, Edward B. Swiedler who died of lung cancer on August 9, 2007.
Harvard, Illinois
Harvard is a city located in McHenry County in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Illinois, approximately south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. The population was 7,996 at the 2000 census...
, died in Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
, March 16, 2007) was an American singer, radio and television performer, remembered for her duet with Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
on the hit single "Silver Bells".
At the start of her career in her early 20s, Carol Richards won a 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...
talent contest, moved to Hollywood and appeared on numerous TV shows
including I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, Name That Tune
Name That Tune
Name That Tune is a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Premiering in the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show was created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta....
, The Saturday Night Review, and variety shows hosted by Ralph Edwards
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
, Dennis Day
Dennis Day
Dennis Day born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, was an Irish-American singer and radio, television and film personality.-Early life:...
, Pinky Lee
Pinky Lee
Pincus Leff , better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of a children's television program, The Pinky Lee Show, in the early 1950s.-Biography:...
, Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...
, and Ezio Pinza
Ezio Pinza
Ezio Pinza was an Italian basso opera singer with a rich, smooth and sonorous voice. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas...
. For four years (1953–1957), she was a regular cast member on the Bob Crosby Show. She was the movie singing voice for Vera Ellen in Call Me Madam, for Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
in Silk Stockings, Brigadoon, Deep in my Heart, and It's Always Fair Weather, and for Betta St. John in The Robe. She worked frequently with Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis, and Bob Hope, and sang with the Russ Morgan and Desi Arnaz Bands. In the 1960s after moving to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Richards performed at numerous club dates, and appeared frequently on Don McNeil's famous radio show, The Breakfast Club.
Following her performing career, Richards continued her work as an artist, completing numerous sculptures, pastels, and oil paintings as well as publishing a book Letters from the Cosmos with her husband.
Richards had 13 children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was survived by her husband of 40 years, Edward B. Swiedler who died of lung cancer on August 9, 2007.
External links
- Letters from the Cosmos on Amazon
- Original name: Carol June Vosburgh http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18514310