Anne Ziegler (22 June 1910 – 13 October 2003) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

singer, known for her

light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

tic duets with her husband

Webster Booth Webster Booth (21 January 1902 – 21 June 1984) was an English tenor, best remembered as the duettist partner of Anne Ziegler. He was also one of the finest tenors of his generation and was a distinguished oratorio soloist. He was a chorister ...

. The pair were known as the "Sweethearts in Song" and were among the most famous and popular British musical acts of the 1940s.

Life and career

She was born Irené Frances Eastwood in the Sefton Park area of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, and attended The Belvedere School. She trained as a classical pianist, and studied singing. In 1933 she began singing professionally as a soprano, changing her name to Anne Ziegler when she made her West End stage debut in 1934, in the chorus of ''By Appointment''. The same year, she was chosen to play Marguerite in a film, ''The Faust Fantasy''. While making the film she met and fell in love with the

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

Webster Booth, who was married at the time. In 1937, credited as Anne Booth, she appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

as Sylvia Laurence in

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Nov ...

's ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

'' and, in 1938, Booth divorced his second wife and married Ziegler. They made their first duet recordings for

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

in 1939, and in 1940 were asked to take their act on the Variety Circuit by theatrical agent, Julius Darewski. In 1941 they appeared in George Black’s

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

production of ''Gangway'' with

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...

and

Ben Lyon Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American film actor and a studio executive at 20th Century-Fox who later acted in British radio, films and TV. Early life and career Lyon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Alvine ...

, and Tommy Trinder, and in 1943 starred in a revival of Friml’s '' Vagabond King'' on a country-wide tour which culminated in a season at the Winter Garden Theatre, London. They became known for bringing glamour to wartime Britain, with Ziegler often wearing dresses by

Norman Hartnell Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell, KCVO (12 June 1901 – 8 June 1979) was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth in 1940, and ...

. Their signature songs included "Only a Rose" and " We'll Gather Lilacs". In 1945 they starred in Kenneth Leslie-Smith’s musical play ''Sweet Yesterday'', first on tour and then at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

, London. They were guest singing stars in two films, ''

Demobbed Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and milita ...

'' and '' Waltz Time'', and in 1945 also starred in a

British National A British national, or United Kingdom national, is a person who possesses a type of British nationality. This includes anyone who is a: * British citizen * British Overseas Territories citizen * British Overseas citizen * British subject (as defi ...

film entitled '' The Laughing Lady''. In the same year they were invited to sing at the Victory

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

. From 1943 they sang at innumerable concerts all over the country for

Harold Fielding Harold Lewis Fielding (4 December 1916 - 27 September 2003) was an English theatre producer. Fielding was one of Britain's foremost theatrical producers who produced several musicals, including ''Mame'', '' Charlie Girl'', ''Half a Sixpence'', ...

, and in 1948 they toured in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In 1951 they published an autobiography, ''Duet'', but their style was becoming old-fashioned and they fell out of favour, emigrating to South Africa in the mid-1950s. They returned to the UK in 1978, settling in Llandudno in

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

, and broadcasting and presenting ''An evening with Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth''. Booth died in 1984, and Ziegler in 2003, at

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...

. A

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

of the couple, ''Sweethearts of Song: A Personal Memoir of Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth'', by Jean Collen, was published in 2006.''Sweethearts of Song'' book
Amazon.co.uk

Selected filmography

* '' The Laughing Lady'' (1946)

References

External links

Ziegler and Booth fan site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ziegler, Anne 1910 births 2003 deaths Musicians from Liverpool 20th-century English singers 20th-century English women singers