Roberta Linn
Roberta Linn (born April 30, 1928 in Gravity, Iowa) is an American singer and entertainer. From 1949 to 1954, she sang with the Lawrence Welk group. She was the Lawrence Welk Show first TV Champagne Lady. Linn is also closely associated with the Rat Pack and the Las Vegas Strip, where she was a regular solo performer beginning in 1955 at The New Frontier and then in 1961 with her husband Freddie Bell and the Bellboys at the Sahara Hotel. Linn continued performing in Las Vegas for 18 straight years at a variety of iconic hotels including the Stardust, Riviera, Dunes, Caesers, Desert Inn and the Sands at their Great American Songbook musical zenith in the 50s and 60s.
Biography
Linn worked in films as a child actress; among the films she had roles in are
Linn performed as part of "The Champagne Ladies" of Lawrence Welk[2] from 1949 to 1954, replacing Helen Ramsay, and performing with Lois Best, Norma Zimmer and Jayne Walton. She often appeared in the early 1950s at the Aragon Ballroom of Santa Monica,[3] and had her own Emmy-winning show on KTLA called "Cafe Continental" or "The Gypsy",[4][5] which she left in 1954. In 1951, Linn was hired by Columbia Pictures to dub for songs such sung by Charlotte Austin in the film Castle in the Air (1952), originally titled Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder. At the time, Linn was known for songs such as "Wonderful, Wasn't It?" "Oh, Promise Me" and "Ain't Misbehavin'.[6] A 1955 article wrote: "Roberta Linn expends enough energy to do an atomic reactor proud in her Terrace Room opening and draws plaudits from the crowd as a reward", noting how she "bounced" around the stage and praising her rendition of "Love is a Many Splendored Thing".[7] In August 1954 she signed a record deal with Ekko Records.[2] Linn also became the vocalist on a KNX Radio program in August 1954. The radio show, "Matinee", was aired on weekday afternoons.[8]
Linn became a regular performer with
References
- ^ Weighty Problem. Modern Screen. October 1954. p. 93. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ^ ISSN 0006-2510.
- ISSN 0006-2510.
- ISBN 978-1-4671-3270-1.
- ^ "Advertisement for the Roberta Linn KLTA television program". Broadcasting. March 9, 1953. p. 76. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ISSN 0006-2510.
- ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ New KNX afternoon show features live music, talent. Sponsor. August 9, 1954. p. 72. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-136-75741-9.
- ISBN 978-1-4088-3330-8.
- ISBN 0-8032-1703-X.
- ISBN 978-0-446-55095-6.
- ISBN 978-0-929712-71-0.
Further reading
- Linn, Roberta; Meeks, Eric G. (June 2007). Champagne Lady. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-45758-8.
External links
- Roberta Linn at IMDb