It was widely believed that she was only 16 years old when she began her recording and radio programs and
Annette Hanshaw (Manhattan, October 18, 1901 – Manhattan, March 13, 1985) was born Catherine Annette Hanshaw. A number of her family members were in vaudeville and she was brought up to love the entertainment business although she studied art and design and wanted to be an artist and portrait painter. She was an exceptionally beautiful girl and had a lovely singing voice that came across wonderfully clearly over the radio and on records at the local stations she would sing for. A demo record she made was heard by Pathe Records executive Herman “Wally” Rose and after taking one look at her with her fantastic dimpled cheeks and stunning figure he was smitten, realizing that he had a nationally marketable potential superstar. Quickly, she began a recording career and radio performances and touring shows that brought her almost overnight to the top of her profession. At one point she was more popular than other better known singers of the mid 1920s including Ruth Etting.
She tried consciously to limit her personal appearances in vaudeville and shows because of her tremendous
stage fright. She lived in constant fear that her voice would give out or she would sing a bad note and disgrace herself but she was earning so much money she couldn’t afford to stop doing it. She was urged to sing in different voices and under at least fifteen different names depending on the kind of song she was singing or the record label she was singing for. She had huge numbers of singing aliases therefore and had hit songs under a wide variety of names on many different labels. Sometimes she imitated Helen Kane (inspiration for the Betty Boop cartoon character) and sang in a baby voice. Sometimes she sang sentimental ballads. Often she became known for jazz age up-tempo tunes which she sang with a calm voice, occasional jazzy interpolations and a good sense of how to fit in well with a complex orchestral arrangement.
In addition, Annette’s performances were enhanced by her great beauty which was used to sell sheet music by putting her face and form fully on the cover. Pictures of her graced sheet music shops like the one owned by her aunt and uncle and sold her records — it was used to sell sheet music by putting her face and form fully on the cover. Pictures of her graced sheet music shops like the one owned by her aunt and uncle and sold her records — it is said that within five years of her coming on the scene with her first recordings for Pathe, she had sold 30 million records and started appearing regularly as a guest on radio programs from 1929. She also starred on a radio show which featured Annette Hanshaw: The Personality Girl on the Maxwell House Show Boat from 1932 to 1934.
Annette Hanshaw - I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
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