Frances Langford

Trained as an opera singer, Frances Langford (1913-2005) suffered a bout of tonsillitis that changed her voice from soprano to contralto and inspired her to adopt a singing style tailored more to big bands. Her initial fame as a radio singer branched out into acting in films such as Broadway Melody of 1936 and Yankee Doodle Dandy. She started performing for soldiers in the 1940s with Bob Hope, a partnership that lasted into the 1980s.