Lu Ann Simms

Lu Ann Simms (July 11, 1932 – September 21, 2003) was an American singer well-known in the 1950s. A performer since the age of three, she became an over-night star in 1952 after winning first place on the singing contest Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts; she subsequently joined the Arthur Godfrey cast and appeared on his radio and television programs Arthur Godfrey Time, Arthur Godfrey and His Friends, The Arthur Godfrey Digest and King Arthur Godfrey and His Round Table.^[2][3] From 1952 to 1955, she appeared on radio and television six days a week, at times for a total of eight separate weekly broadcasts, all linked to Godfrey for CBS.^[4] Simms released a series of highly-successful pop 45s on Columbia Records between 1952 and 1957, Jubilee Records between 1957 and 1960 (in addition to her sole LP), and Top Rank Records in 1960.^[5] Her recordings were licensed by such record labels as Philips Records and Coronet Records for release outside the United States.^[6][7]

Simms was first married to music publisher and record label executive Loring Buzzell, co-founder of Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music,^[8] and was a close personal friend of Merv Griffin, The McGuire Sisters and Jaye P. Morgan.^[9][10] Her stardom was short-lived, lasting only a brief eight years, mainly due to a series of personal tragedies. In 1955, Godfrey unexpectedly fired her from his program after she gave birth to her first daughter; Simms was simultaneously dropped from her CBS radio and television contract, after serving only three of the seven years contracted. Simms nevertheless remained signed to the CBS subsidiary Columbia Records, honoring the full duration of her separate five-year recording contract.^[11][12] Simms' first husband, Buzzell, then became her manager and secured for her a three-year recording contract at Jubilee Records. Buzzell, however, died from a sudden heart attack in 1959, a mere three months before the birth of their second daughter; a hardship from which Simms never fully recovered.^[13][14]

Though Simms never retired, she was only sporadically active afterwards, with each of her appearances perceived by the press and fans as a series of come-backs. In late 1959, Simms began managing her late husband Buzzell's music publishing estate, which included the firms Calyork Music, Inc., Colby Music, Ltd. and Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Inc., the last of which she initially renamed Hecht & Buzzell Music, Inc. (after the departure of partner Burt Lancaster), and then later, in 1965, Colby Music, Inc.^[15] In 1961, she married childhood sweetheart Casper Stolt and moved to Los Angeles, California, but the relationship ended in a divorce before the end of the decade.^[16]

Through her father, Al Simms, general manager of American International Records, the record label division of film production company American International Pictures, Simms became affiliated with the beach party film craze of the mid-1960s.^[17] She was commissioned to record several tunes intended for soundtracks of beach party flicks for American International Pictures, but her tracks were often re-recorded by the stars of the films. Some of the music she recorded was ultimately released on 45s by Vee-Jay Records and Wand Records, and appeared on some of the films' soundtrack LPs.^[18] In the 1970s, she worked as assistant to songwriter and record producer Bob Crewe at Far Out Productions, contributing backing vocals to a handful of folk and disco music concept albums.^[19]

Discography[]

References[]

External links[]

• Lu Ann Simms at AllMusic
• Lu Ann Simms discography at MusicBrainz
• Lu Ann Simms discography at Discogs
• Lu Ann Simms at IMDb