Harriet Lee (singer)

Harriet Lee pictured on the B&O Railroad's Columbian in 1931[1]

Harriet Lee was an American radio singer during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1920s–1930s.[2][3] She was best known as a blues contralto on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and, later, NBC Radio Networks. Called the "Songbird of the Air", she was named Miss Radio 1931 based on nationwide submittals from radio stations, judged by Flo Ziegfeld and McClelland Barclay, to select the "most beautiful radio artist" for the Radio World's Fair in New York City.[4][5] Lee was one of the highest paid radio stars that year.[6] She hosted the Harriet Lee show on experimental New York City station W2XAB (now WCBS-TV) in 1931, making her one of the first singers to have a show on U.S. television.[2]

After her radio appearances ended in the mid-1930s, Lee was a voice coach working with various film stars for major Hollywood studios. Between the 1930s–1960s, she gave singing lessons to Dorothy Lamour, Ava Gardner, Esther Williams, Rhonda Fleming, Ginger Rogers, and Janet Leigh, among others.[7][8]

  1. ^ Columbia Broadcasting System publicity photo: "Harriet Lee is loyal to Columbia, even on trains" (1931).
  2. ^ a b "Off to a Head Start in Television". Nebraska State Journal. Lincoln, Nebraska. AP wirephoto. September 6, 1931. p. C-10 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ Scarberry, Alma Sioux (September 1, 1929). "Harriet Lee is a radio beauty". Asheville Citizen. p. C-6 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "Chosen as 'Radio Queen'; Harriet Lee of WABC Deemed Most Beautiful Artist on the Air". New York Times. September 16, 1931. p. R26. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYpix was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Fidler, Jimmy (May 3, 1938). "Jimmy Fidler in Hollywood". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 2. Retrieved March 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference JohnsonNEA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hedda was invoked but never defined (see the help page).