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Loulie Jean Norman

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Voice Actress

The Resume

    (March 12, 1913-August 2, 2005)
    Born in Birmingham, Alabama
    Coloratura soprano
    Frequently billed as Lulie Jean Norman
    Member of The Rhythmaires and the Ray Conniff Singers
    Worked with prominent musical arrangers Gordon Jenkins and Kay Thompson
    Dubbed the performances of Stella Stevens, Juliet Prowse, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Diahann Carroll
    Provided vocal work for 'G.I. Blues,' 'Rock Odyssey,' 'Too Late Blues,' 'Blue Hawaii,' 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown,' 'The Band Wagon,' 'Brigadoon,' 'The Big Hangover,' 'Harvey Girls,' 'Athena,' and 'Heidi's Song'
    Provided the voice of Penelope Pinfeather in 'Melody' and 'Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom'
    Performed the part of 'The Princess' for the cast of the soundtrack album of 'Cinderfella,' opposite Jerry Lewis
    Best known as the soprano singing voice for Alexander Courage's 'Star Trek' opening theme sung during the show's credits
    Collaborated with Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, Henry Mancini, Billy May, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Anthony, Mel Torme, Spike Jones, Hugh Martin, and Buddy DeFranco
    Notable vocal group recordings include 'Home Cookin,' 'Story of Sorrento,' ‘Beyond the Reef,' ‘Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart,’ ‘I Got Lucky in the Rain’ 'Teddy Bears' Picnic,' 'It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,' 'Road to Bali,' and 'Zing a Little Zong'

Why she might be annoying:

    She did voice work for the Country Bear Jamboree Disney park attraction.
    Her needling, high-pitched crooning was compared to Yma Sumac's.
    Marni Nixon sometimes gets credit for her voice dubbings.
    She had ambitions to be an opera star, but ended up a radio background singer.
    Bing Crosby introduced her on his Philico program with bizarre nicknames (The Hartz Mountain Canary, The Lorelei from Birmingham, Alabama).
    She provided the annoying-as-hell background vocal for the original 'Lion Sleeps Tonight' track, sung by The Tokens.
    She dubbed Diahann Carroll for the opening 'Summertime' number in 'Porgy and Bess' (despite Carroll being an accomplished singer on her own).
    Critics have since panned her rendition of the song as tepid and weak, lacking the power that a Leontyne Price type would have leant it (although since the song is supposed to be a mother singing to her child, maybe the more intimate/personal the better).
    Star Trek producers had the opening instrumental re-recorded without her voice for the show’s third season, to avoid paying her royalties (although she continued to provide vocals for assorted musical arrangements on the show - usually during heightened moments of drama).

Why she might not be annoying:

    She was a grandmother of eleven.
    She did recording work with Sam Cooke and Ray Charles.
    Her husband, Norman H. Price, was a decorated World War II flying ace.
    Unlike Marni Nixon, she was actually as good-looking as the actresses she dubbed.
    Andre Previn personally selected her to record the film version of 'Summertime.'
    'Trolley Song' and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' songwriter, Hugh Martin, had a huge crush on her (even rewriting Gershwin's 'I've Got a Crush on You' song for her).
    She sang alongside voice specialist Paul Frees as Vampira to his Dracula in several horror movie song parodies.
    She was bi-racial (between 1/4 - 1/8 black, making her light enough to 'pass' in the industry, but not enough to make traction as a movie actress).
    She provides the mysterious 'call' of the Swamp Girl for Frankie Laine's kickass collaboration with Michael Brown by the same name.
    As a vocalist with The Rhythmaires, she provided furnished background vocals for the Disney films 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' (as background for Bing Crosby) and 'Cinderella' (in the 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo' chorus).
    She is a fan favorite with Disney Park tourists, known for her opera-singing 'Crazy Soprano Ghost' phantomess in the Haunted Mansion attraction (whose famous 'shriek' was completely improvised).
    When Bing Crosby and his brother Bob reprised his childhood favorite song, 'Whispering Hope,' on the Chesterfield Show, Loulie was chosen to sing the role recreating their sister Catherine’s part.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 64 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 18 Votes: 61.11% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 11 Votes: 36.36% Annoying