Amy Arnell

American singer

Amy Arnell was an American singer, best known for her work with Tommy Tucker and his orchestra.

## Early years

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Arnell was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. As early as age 3, she would sit on a piano and sing while her mother played. She attended Woodrow Wilson High School and the College of William & Mary and gained singing experience in her church choir and on radio stations.[1]

Before she made a career of singing, she worked as a secretary.[1]

## Career

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Arnell caught the attention of Tucker when he heard her sing while he and his band were in Portsmouth. She auditioned for him and was hired.[2] Later, her recording of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" with the Tucker orchestra "became a smash hit", selling half a million records for Columbia.[3] The recording's success boosted the band from cheaper one-night stands "into the higher brackets."[3] Arnell also appeared with Tucker and his orchestra in the short film It's Tommy Tucker Time (1943), which was part of the RKO Pictures Jamboree Series.[4] The short was reissued in 1947.[5]

Arnell debuted on radio in Detroit on Phil Baker's program,[1] and in 1937-1938 she sang with Tucker's orchestra on George Jessel's Thirty Minutes in Hollywood program.[6] In 1939–1940, she appeared with Tucker and his orchestra on Pot o' Gold.[7] In December 1945, she joined the cast of The Abbott and Costello Show, replacing vocalist Connie Haines.[8]

On December 7, 1943, Arnell left Tucker to do a solo act, performing at theaters.[9] A review in the trade publication Variety in December 1943 evaluated her performance with the comment, "Lacking a voice and with averaged delivery and looks, she scores mildly here."[10]

## Other activities

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Arnell was half-owner of a florist shop in Hollywood.[11]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Amy Arnell To Appear Here With Tucker". The Daily Mail. Maryland, Hagerstown. May 6, 1943. p. 8. Retrieved October 27, 2018 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "(untitled)". Radio and Television Mirror. 17 (4): 74. February 1942. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
3. ^ a b Ferris, John (April 26, 1942). "Band With Good Canary Will Never Get 'the Bird'". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky, Louisville. p. 27. Retrieved October 30, 2018 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Short Subjects". Motion Picture Herald. May 8, 1943. p. 1304. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
5. ^ "Short Subjects". Motion Picture Herald. November 8, 1947. p. 3919. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
6. ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
7. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 274–275\. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.274-275&rft.pub=McFarland+&+Company,+Inc.&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=978-0-7864-4513-4&rft.aulast=Terrace&rft.aufirst=Vincent&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Amy+Arnell" class="Z3988">
8. ^ "In Hollywood". Variety. December 28, 1945. p. 28. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
9. ^ "Amy Arnell Also Will Try a Solo". Variety. November 24, 1943. p. 49. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
10. ^ "State, N.Y." Variety. December 22, 1943. p. 20. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
11. ^ Alden, Ken (May 1942). "Facing the Music". Radio and Television Mirror. 18 (1): 12. Retrieved 27 October 2018.

## External links

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* Biography portal
* Virginia portal
* Music portal
* Radio portal
* Film portal

* Tommy Tucker's recording of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" from YouTube

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