Trudy Erwin

Trudy Erwin (known as Jinny) (born August 12, 1918^[1] – October 29, 2000) was an American singer and actress in films who was a vocalist with the Kay Kyser orchestra in the 1940s.

Trudy Erwin
Born	Virginia Lee Erwin (1918-08-12)August 12, 1918 [1] El Monte, California, USA
Died	October 29, 2000(2000-10-29) (aged 82) San Diego, California , USA
Genres	Pop, Big band, Jazz
Occupation	Singer
Labels	Decca, 4 Star
Formerly of	The Music Maids, Kay Kyser, Bing Crosby

Career

As a teenager. she was part of a vocal quintet called the Music Maids.

The Music Maids were used in the Bing Crosby film East Side of Heaven^[2] to back Crosby on the song "Hang Your Heart on a Hickory Limb." Subsequently the Music Maids joined the cast of the Kraft Music Hall hosted by Crosby, making their debut on February 23, 1939.^[3] Whilst working with Bing, she recorded several hit songs with him including the 1943 duets "People Will Say We're In Love (#1) and "Oh! What A Beautiful Mornin' (#4).^[4]

Whilst they remained on the show until 1944, Erwin left the group to join Kay Kyser in October 1941 as a partial replacement for Ginny Simms.^[5] She had a hit record with Kyser on "Who Wouldn't Love You" when she paired with Harry Babbitt and the song reached the top of the charts in April 1942. She returned to the Kraft show on February 4, 1943 as the resident female singer^[6] until December 1943 when she left to have a baby.

Erwin, credited as Trudy Stevens, dubbed Kim Novak's singing voice for My Funny Valentine in the movie Pal Joey.^[7][8]

Voice dubbing

Reference:^[9]

• Too Many Girls (1940), for Lucille Ball
• Blues in the Night (1941), for Betty Field
• The Great John L. (1945), for Linda Darnell
• Yolanda and the Thief (1945), for Lucille Bremer
• Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), for Lucille Bremer
• Dead Reckoning (1947), for Lizabeth Scott
• I Walk Alone (1947), for Lizabeth Scott
• One Sunday Afternoon (1948), for girl on bicycle
• Always Leave Them Laughing (1949), for Ruth Roman
• Dark City (1950), for Lizabeth Scott
• Mr. Imperium (1951), for Lana Turner
• Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951), for Virginia Gibson
• The Merry Widow (1952), for Lana Turner
• Pal Joey (1957), for Kim Novak, (as Trudy Stevens)
• White Christmas (1954), for Vera-Ellen

Personal life

Erwin married Murdo MacKenzie,^[10] a sound engineer,^[11] for Bing Crosby^[12] (radio^[13][14] and albums), NBC,^[15] and ABC, at San Juan Capistrano Mission on February 14, 1942.^[16] In December 1943, she left the cast of the Kraft Music Hall hosted by Crosby, to have a baby.

Murdo MacKenzie served as the producer for The Bing Crosby – Rosemary Clooney Show.