Georgia Carroll (November 18, 1919 – January 14, 2011) was an American singer, fashion model, and actress, best known for her work with Kay Kyser's big band orchestra in the mid-1940s.
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Carroll, she was born in Blooming Grove, Texas, where her father raised sheep. Her family moved to Dallas, Texas, where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School.
One of Carroll's early jobs was modelling for a department store in Dallas, Texas. She eventually went to New York City and worked for the John Powers modelling agency. While she worked as a model in New York, she took vocal lessons. Aged 17, she made the cover of 'Redbook' and her face continued to be featured throughout the 1930's and 40's in fashion magazines (Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Ladies Home Journal), on calendars and in advertising
Carroll came to Hollywood when producers wanted her to play Daisy Mae in a film version of the Li'l Abner. Her height cost her that opportunity, however, when she turned out to be taller than the actor selected to play the title character. Her acting career began in 1941 when she appeared in several uncredited small roles in films such as Maisie Was a
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Lady with Lew Ayres and Ann Sothern, Ziegfeld Girl with Judy Garland, as well as You're in the Army Now and Navy Blues, in both of which she appeared with the Navy Blues Sextette.
She appeared as Betsy Ross in the James Cagney musical Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. She also did modelling during this time, appearing in advertisements for Jewelite hairbrushes, among other products. Anne Taintor used some of these advertisements featuring Carroll to express the voice of the modern woman.
In 1943, Carroll joined Kay Kyser's band, (Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge), as a featured vocalist. Capitalizing on her good looks, she was given the nickname "Gorgeous Georgia Carroll", probably as a joking reference to the professional wrestler George Wagner, who used the name "Gorgeous George".
As a member of Kyser's band, Carroll appeared in three films: Around the World, Carolina Blues, and most notably the Second World War-era "morale booster" Thousands Cheer which gave fans a chance to see Kyser and his band in Technicolor.
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Kyser's band has a featured performance near the end of the film, with Carroll delivering a key solo interlude of the Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown standard, "Should I?"
Kyser's band has a featured performance near the end of the film, with Carroll delivering a key solo interlude of the Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown standard, "Should I?"Carroll and Kyser fell in love soon after she joined the band. A popular story often goes that one night in 1944 the two were pulled over for speeding in Nevada. After introducing themselves, Kyser, who wanted to avoid a ticket, quickly made up a story that they were in a hurry to get married. Knowing that publicity over the traffic stop would soon catch up to them, they decided it was best to find a Justice of the Peace and marry that night, in order to avoid negative press. But according to
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Carroll, “We were playing a show in the desert for the service men. Kay was supposed to be headed for Los Angeles but headed for Nevada because that was the only place to get married in a hurry. I knew where he was going but just hoped I was doing the right thing. The story about worrying over the press catching wind of the speeding ticket is not true. Kay and Carroll went on to become one of the most successful couples in show business.
Carroll, “We were playing a show in the desert for the service men. Kay was supposed to be headed for Los Angeles but headed for Nevada because that was the only place to get married in a hurry. I knew where he was going but just hoped I was doing the right thing. The story about worrying over the press catching wind of the speeding ticket is not true. Kay and Carroll went on to become one of the most successful couples in show business.Georgia continued as vocalist with the Kay Kyser band, as well making appearances on television, retiring from performing in 1946. She concentrated on raising her family, collecting antiques and being active in the Chapel Hill historical preservation movement. Kyser himself retired from performing in 1951. The couple, who had three children, remained married until his death in 1985.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is custodian of a large archive of documents and material about Kay Kyser which was donated by Carroll.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is custodian of a large archive of documents and material about Kay Kyser which was donated by Carroll.
Georgia Carroll died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on January 14, 2011, age 91. (Compiled and edited from Wikipedia & IMDB)