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Julie Wilson | |
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 Wilson in 1956 | |
| Born | Julie May Wilson (1924-10-21)October 21, 1924 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2015(2015-04-05) (aged 90) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
| Years active | 1942–2013 |
| Notable work | Legs Diamond Kiss Me, Kate |
| Children | 2, includingHolt McCallany |
Julie May Wilson (October 21, 1924 – April 5, 2015) was an American singer and actress widely regarded as "the queen of cabaret".[1] She was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1989 for her performance inLegs Diamond.[2]
Wilson was born inOmaha, Nebraska, United States,[3] the daughter of Emily (née Wilson[4]), a hairdresser, and Russell Wilson, a coal salesman.[5] She first found a musical outlet with local musical group "Hank's Hepcats" in her teenage years and briefly attendedOmaha University. She won the title ofMiss Nebraska and would have competed in theMiss America pageant, until it was discovered that she was just under the required minimum age of 18.[6] She headed to New York City during World War II and found work in two of Manhattan's leading nightclubs, theLatin Quarter and theCopacabana.[6] Gossip columnistHedda Hopper, in a 1948 newspaper column, referred to Wilson as "Kay Thompson's discovery," adding that Wilson "is being tested byArthur Freed atMetro."[7]
She made herBroadway stage debut in the 1946revueThree to Make Ready.[8] In 1951, she moved to London to star in theWest End production ofKiss Me, Kate and remained there for four years, appearing in shows such asSouth Pacific andBells Are Ringing while studying at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Arts.[3] She returned to New York to replaceJoan Diener inKismet.[3] Additional Broadway credits includeThe Pajama Game (1954),Jimmy (1969),Park (1970), andLegs Diamond (1988), for which she received aTony Award nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical.[3] She also toured inShow Boat,Panama Hattie,Silk Stockings,Follies,Company, andA Little Night Music.
In 1957, Wilson sang withRay Anthony and his Orchestra, contributing vocals to a number of songs in the soundtrack to the filmThis Could Be The Night. Wilson also had an acting role in the film, as singer Ivy Corlane. The same year she appeared as Rosebud inThe Strange One, oppositeBen Gazzara. Wilson's television credits include regular roles on the American daytimesoap operaThe Secret Storm. She also appeared in aHallmark Hall of Fame telecast ofKiss Me, Kate and numerous episodes ofThe Ed Sullivan Show.
On October 18, 1954, Wilson married talent agent Barron Reynolds Polan inArlington County, Virginia. They divorced in December 1955, and on December 29, 1955, she married her second husband, film producerHarvey Goldstein Bernhard inLas Vegas, Nevada.[citation needed]
With her third husband, actor/producer Michael McAloney, Wilson had two sons,Holt and Michael, Jr., who attended school inIreland while their parents worked in New York City. When the marriage failed, Wilson sent the boys to live with her parents in Omaha. When they reached their teen years, she retired and joined them. Holt McAloney is now credited for acting roles asHolt McCallany. Michael McAloney Jr. died in 1991.[6]
In 1983, with her sons grown and her parents deceased, she found her niche and forged her reputation as a cabaret performer, known primarily for her dramatic delivery oftorch songs and show tunes.[3]
Wilson suffered astroke on April 5, 2015, inManhattan and died the same day. She was 90.[6]
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