Biography
Shirley Ross was an American actress and singer. Born Bernice Maude Gaunt on 7 January 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska, she died on 9 March 1975 in Menlo Park, California. She trained as a classical pianist, attending Hollywood High School and UCLA, and began performing by singing with Gus Arnheim's band and on radio. She also appeared in a west-coast stage production of Anything Goes.
Ross made her film debut, uncredited, in Bombshell (1933). She appeared in Manhattan Melodrama (1934) and played Trixie in San Francisco (1936), singing "Happy New Year". She duetted with Bob Hope on "Thanks for the Memory" in The Big Broadcast of 1938 and appeared in around 25 feature films between 1933 and 1945, frequently opposite Bing Crosby or Bob Hope. She was married to agent Ken Dolan from 1938 until his death in 1951 and later to Eddie Blum.
