Martha Mears (July 18, 1910 – December 13, 1986) was a radio and film

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

singer, active from the 1930s to 1950s.

Early years

Mears was born in

Mexico, Missouri , image_skyline = Audrain County Missouri Courthouse.JPG , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = The Audrain County Courthouse in downtown Mexico. , image_flag = , image_seal = ...

. Her mother died when Mears was 4 years old, and she went to live with her grandmother. Five years later, she began living with an aunt and uncle in

Moberly, Missouri Moberly is a city in Randolph County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,974 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri metropolitan area. History Moberly was founded in 1866, and named after Colonel William E. Mober ...

. She began taking singing lessons when she was 15. She graduated from Moberly (Missouri) High School, Moberly Junior College and then, in 1933, from the University of Missouri with plans to be a teacher. On a post-graduation trip to New York City, however, her search for a teaching position was unsuccessful. Instead she found a job with Gus Edwards' ''Stars of Tomorrow'' show.

Radio

Mears sang on

KFRU KFRU (1400 AM) is a radio station located in Columbia, Missouri. Its programming format consists primarily of news and talk. The station is licensed to Cumulus Media. The station is also audible on translator K255DJ 98.9 FM in Columbia. History ...

in Columbia, Missouri, and on

WIL Wil () is the capital of the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Wil in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Wil is the third largest city in the Canton of St. Gallen, after the city of St. Gallen and Rapperswil-Jona, a twin city that merged in ...

in St. Louis, Missouri, before a 1934 interview led to a contract with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. She sang on such programs as ''Al Pearce and His Gang'',Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 19. ''

The Baker's Broadcast ''The Baker's Broadcast'' is the name applied to three old-time radio variety programs in the United States. The first one went on the air October 8, 1933; the third one's last broadcast was June 26, 1938. The name applied to all three apparently w ...

'' (also known as ''The Joe Penner Show''), ''It Happened in Hollywood'', ''Ten-Two-Four Ranch'', ''The Colgate House Party'', ''The Old Gold Program'', ''The General Foods Show'', ''Bob Ripley'', ''Phillip Morris'', and ''Radio Rodeo''. During World War II, Mears was featured on several episodes of the ''Personal Album'' program produced by the

Armed Forces Radio Service The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which ...

Film

She was also the singing voice of many film actresses, notably singing for

Marjorie Reynolds Marjorie Reynolds (née Goodspeed; August 12, 1917 – February 1, 1997) was an American film/television actress and dancer, who appeared in more than 50 films, including the 1942 musical ''Holiday Inn'', in which she and Bing Crosby introdu ...

in the debut of " White Christmas" in the movie ''

Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...

'' (1942), for

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

in ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

'' and for one of

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...

's songs in ''

DuBarry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

'' (1943). Her other movie credits include dubbing the singing voices of actresses such as

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

Hedy Lamarr Hedy Lamarr (; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actresse ...

Veronica Lake Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922 – July 7, 1973), known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in film noirs with Alan Ladd ...

, and

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

Personal life

Mears was married to Sidney Brokaw, a violinist, and they had a son.

Partial filmography

* ''

Half Angel Half Angel may refer to: * Half Angel (1951 film), a Technicolor comedy film * Half Angel (1936 film), an American comedy film {{dab ...

'' (1951) ("Castle In The Sand" for

) * '' My Favorite Spy'' (1951) ("Just A Moment More" for

) * '' Under The Gun'' (1951) ("I Cried For You" for

Audrey Totter Audrey Mary Totter (December 20, 1917 – December 12, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s. Early life Audrey – some sources indicate "Audra" – Totter w ...

) * '' My Foolish Heart'' (1949) (performer: " My Foolish Heart") * '' The Countess of Monte Cristo'' (1948) ("Count Your Blessings", "Who Believes in Santa Claus" for

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...

) * ''

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid ''Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' is a 1948 American romantic fantasy film directed by Irving Pichel starring William Powell and Ann Blyth in the title roles. The film was based on the 1945 novel ''Peabody's Mermaid'' by Guy and Constance Jones. ...

'' (1948) ("The Caribee" for

Andrea King Andrea King (born Georgette André Barry; February 1, 1919 – April 22, 2003) was an American stage, film, and television actress, sometimes billed as Georgette McKee. Early life Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry on February 1, 1919, ...

) * ''

The Saxon Charm ''The Saxon Charm'' is a 1948 American film noir drama film written and directed by Claude Binyon based on the novel of the same name by Frederic Wakeman Sr. and starring Robert Montgomery, Susan Hayward, John Payne and Audrey Totter. Plot I ...

'' (1948) ("I'm In The Mood For Love" for

) * '' The Gangster'' (1947) ("Paradise" for

Belita Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress. Biography Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,Isn't It Romantic? "Isn't It Romantic?" is a popular song and part of the Great American Songbook. The music was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It has a 32-bar chorus in A–B–A–C form. Alec Wilder, in his book ''American Popular Song: ...

'' (1948) ("Miss Julie July", "Indiana Dinner", "At the Nickolodeon" for

) * ''

Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

'' (1946) ("Nocturne", "Why Pretend", "A Little Bit is Better than None" for

Virginia Huston Virginia Huston (April 24, 1925 – February 28, 1981) was an American actress. Early years Huston was born in Wisner, Nebraska, the daughter of Marcus and Mary Agnes Houston, and she had two brothers. Once she began her acting career, she chan ...

) * '' Meet Me On Broadway'' (1946) ("Fifth Avenue" for

) * '' Bring on the Girls'' (1945) ("You Moved Right In" for

) * '' Tonight and Every Night'' (1945) ("Tonight and Every Night", "What Does an English Girl Think of a Yank?", "You Excite Me", "The Boy I Left Behind", "Cry and You Cry Alone" for

) * ''

'' (1944) ("The Show Must Go On", "Sure Thing", "Make Way for Tomorrow", "

Long Ago (and Far Away) "Long Ago (and Far Away)" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics about nostalgia by Ira Gershwin from the 1944 Technicolor film musical ''Cover Girl'' starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly and released by Columbia Pictures. The ...

", "Poor John" for

) * ''

DuBarry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

'' (1943) ("DuBarry Was a Lady", "Madame, I Like Your Crepe Suzettes" for

) * '' Higher and Higher'' (1943) ("It's a Most Important Affair", "Today I'm a Debutante", "You're On Your Own", "Minuet in Boogie" for

Michèle Morgan Michèle Morgan (; née Simone Renée Roussel; 29 February 1920 – 20 December 2016) was a French film actress, who was a leading lady for three decades in both French cinema and Hollywood features. She is considered to have been one of the g ...

) * ''

Action in the North Atlantic ''Action in the North Atlantic'', also known as ''Heroes Without Uniforms'', is a 1943 American black-and-white war film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Jerry Wald, directed by Lloyd Bacon, that stars Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey a ...

'' (1943) (" Night and Day" for

Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...

) * '' Silver Skates'' (1943) ("A Girl Like You, A Boy Like Me" for

Patricia Morison Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison (March 19, 1915 – May 20, 2018) was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on ...

) * ''

Two Tickets to London ''Two Tickets to London'' is a 1943 drama film made by Universal Pictures, and directed by Edwin L. Marin. The screenplay was written by Tom Reed, based on story by Roy William Neill. The film stars Michèle Morgan and Alan Curtis. Premise A U ...

'' (1943) ("You Don't Know What Love Is" for

) * ''

The Fallen Sparrow ''The Fallen Sparrow'' is a 1943 American spy film starring John Garfield, Maureen O'Hara, Patricia Morison, and Walter Slezak. It is based on the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes. Nazi spies pursue an American, John "Kit" McKittrick, a ...

'' (1943) for

Martha O'Driscoll Martha O'Driscoll (March 4, 1922 – November 3, 1998) was an American film actress from 1937 until 1947. She retired from the screen in 1947 after marrying her second husband, Arthur I. Appleton, president of Appleton Electric Company in Chic ...

* ''

They Got Me Covered ''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role. Plot In mid 1941, ac ...

'' (1943) ("Palsy Walsy" for

Marion Martin Marion Suplee (born June 7, 1909 – August 13, 1985) known professionally as Marion Martin was an American film and stage actress. Biography Martin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a Bethlehem Steel executive. She became ...

) * ''

The Big Street ''The Big Street'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the 1940 short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced it. It was directed by Irving Reis from a screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass. ...

'' (1942) ("Who Knows?" for

) * ''

'' (1942) (performer: " White Christmas", "(Come To) Holiday Inn", "

Happy Holidays The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...

", "Abraham" for

) * ''

Star Spangled Rhythm ''Star Spangled Rhythm'' is a 1942 American all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flims ...

'' (1942) ("A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peek-a-Boo Bang" for

) * ''

This Gun for Hire ''This Gun for Hire'' is a 1942 American film noir crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan Ladd. It is based on the 1936 novel ''A Gun for Sale'' by Graham Greene (published in Amer ...

'' (1942) ("I've Got You", "Now You See It, Now You Don't" for

) * '' Call Out the Marines'' (1942) ("The Light of My Life", "Hands Across the Border" for

Dorothy Lovett Dorothy Lovett (February 16, 1915 – April 28, 1998) was an American film actress. Biography Early and personal life Lovett was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She married director Jack Hively (1910-1995) on December 25, 1941, wh ...

) * '' Four Jacks and a Jill (film)'' (1942) ("Karanina", "You Go Your Way", "Wherever You Go" for

Anne Shirley Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel '' Anne of Green Gables'' by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edw ...

) * ''

South of Tahiti ''South of Tahiti'' is a 1941 American south seas adventure film directed by George Waggner and starring Brian Donlevy. It helped launch Maria Montez as a pin-up star. She played a leading role; response was such that Universal then cast her in '' ...

'' (1941) ("Melahi" for

Maria Montez María África Gracia Vidal (6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951), known professionally as Maria Montez, was a Dominican motion picture actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s starring in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume ...

) * '' The Parson of Panamint'' (1941) ("My Sweetheart's the Man in the Moon", "It's in the Cards", "Merry-Go-Round", "

Rock of Ages Rock of Ages may refer to: Films * ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * ''Rock of Ages'' (2012 film), a film adaptation of the jukebox musical (see below) Music * ''Rock of Ages'' (musical), a 2006 rock ...

" for

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

) * '' Pacific Blackout'' (1941) ("I Met Him in Paris" for

) * ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris, Brian Donlevy, Constance Moor ...

'' (1941) ("Born to Love" for

) * '' Road Show'' (1941) ("I Should Have Known You Years Ago" for

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

) * ''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Ethnic group * Zazas, a group of people in eastern Anatolia (southeastern Turkey) * Zaza–Gorani languages, Indo-Iranian languages ** Zaza language, spoken by the Zazas People Given name * Zaza Sor. Aree (born 1993), Thai k ...

'' (1938) ("Hello, My Darling" for

)

References

External links

*
"Pepper Rangers Gazette" with bio

Listen

An episode of Armed Forces Radio Service's ''Personal Album'' featuring Martha Mears
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mears, Martha 1910 births 1986 deaths American voice actresses 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers People from Mexico, Missouri People from Moberly, Missouri 20th-century American women singers