Jane Powell

Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce; April 1, 1929) is an American singer, dancer and actress who rose to fame in the mid-1940s with roles in various musicals as a contract player for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer pictures. Powell was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where she achieved local notoriety as a singer, touring the state as the Oregon Victory Girl selling victory bonds. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Powell's vocal, dancing, and acting talents were utilized for lead and supporting roles in musicals such as A Date with Judy (1948) with friend Elizabeth Taylor, Royal Wedding (1951) with Fred Astaire, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) with Howard Keel and Hit the Deck (1955). By the late 1950s, her film career slowed, leading her to transition to theatre with performances in various touring shows as well as two Broadway productions. In 1985, she relocated with her fifth husband, former child star Dickie Moore (died 2015), to New York City and Wilton, Connecticut, where Powell is still active in local theatre. 2Early life She was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce, the only child born to Paul E. Burce (a Wonder Bread employee) and Eileen Baker Burce (a housewife), on April 1, 1929, in Portland, Oregon. Powell began dance lessons at the age of two. In an attempt to liken her appearance to Shirley Temple, Powell's mother took her to get her first perm the same year she began dance lessons. At five, she appeared on the children's radio program Stars of Tomorro