Jean Bayless (29 June 1932 – 5 February 2021) was a British actress. She is best remembered for starring as Maria in the London production of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...

''.

Life and career

Bayless was born in Hackney, London. Her family was evacuated to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

during the Second World War, where she started to take singing lessons. She later trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Early in her career, she performed in

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

s at the London Palladium. In 1955 she was a replacement, starring as Polly in the Broadway production of '' The Boy Friend'' (credited as Jo Ann Bayless),"Jo Ann Bayless"
Internet Broadway Database, accessed 9 February 2021 and she starred as Maria in the original West End production of ''

'' in 1960. She played the role of Cynthia Cunningham in the early 1970s in the soap opera ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

''. She also performed with

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

in ''Sauce Tartare''.

Personal life

With her husband David Johnson, she had two sons, Daniel and Adam. She died of bone cancer in Birmingham at the age of 88.

References

External links

* 1932 births 2021 deaths Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts British musical theatre actresses Actresses from Blackpool Actors from the London Borough of Hackney Deaths from bone cancer in the United Kingdom Actresses from London People from Hackney, London {{UK-actor-stub