Phil Ford (June 21, 1919 – June 15, 2005) was a vaudeville performer, musician, and comedian, whose career spanned over seven decades.

Life and career

Ford was born in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, on June 21, 1919. He started in show business at the age of 12 and joined the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He met his future wife, singer and dancer

Mimi Hines Mimi Hines (born July 17, 1933) is a Canadian singer and comedian best known for her appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''The Tonight Show'' and her work on Broadway. She succeeded Barbra Streisand in the original production of '' Funny Gi ...

in 1952 and they married two years later. In 1958, they appeared on Jack Paar's '' Tonight Show'', which helped launch their careers. They also appeared as guests on the shows of

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

, Ed Sullivan,

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, Bobby Darin,

Mike Douglas Michael Delaney Dowd Jr. (August 11, 1920 – August 11, 2006),Cook County Birth Certificates, file number 6053268, borAugust 11, 1920Social Security Death Index, Michael D. Dowd Jr., Birth: 11 Aug 1920, death: 11 Aug 2006 residing in North ...

and

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

. They appeared in one film together,

Saturday Night in Apple Valley Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day's ...

in 1965. When Hines replaced

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. S ...

in the hit musical " Funny Girl" in 1965, Ford was given the part of Eddie. Hines and Ford divorced in 1972 but worked together professionally several times after their divorce. Ford died of natural causes on June 15, 2005, in Las Vegas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Phil 1919 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American singers