Lottice Howell

Lottice Howell (November 14, 1897 - October 24, 1982)[1] was an American coloratura soprano[2] and actress best known for her singing of popular and semi-classical music.

Lottice Howell
Howell in a publicity photo
Born(1897-11-14)November 14, 1897
Bowling Green, Kentucky
DiedOctober 24, 1982(1982-10-24) (aged 84)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWoman's College of Alabama
OccupationSinger
actress
Parent(s)Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Howell

Early years

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Howell,[3] she was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and raised in Moundville, Alabama.[1] Her father was "a prominent lumber and cotton magnate".[2] Howell graduated from Moundville Normal High School[4] and the Woman's College of Alabama. Her interest in the stage began in college, where she acted in productions,[5] and after graduating she taught voice there.[6] She studied music in New York, but financial problems led her to teach in a school in Georgia before she could return to New York to seek a career on stage.[4]

Career

On July 10, 1921, Howell debuted at the Strand Theater in New York, singing as part of the stage show that preceded the day's film.[7] in 1922-1923, she had the lead in a national touring company that performed Mozart's The Impresario.[8]

On Broadway, Howell appeared as Mugette in Deep River (1926) and as Virginia Shrivell in Bye, Bye, Bonnie (1927).[9] For a season, she was the prima donna in a production of My Maryland. In February 1929, she began performing in vaudeville.[10] In October 1929, she signed a contract and began working with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio.[11] Her film debut came in In Gay Madrid (1930).[12] She also appeared in Free and Easy (1930).[13] In the early 1930s, she performed at the London Palladium.[14]

A dislike for the unproductive time spent in making films led Howell to return to vaudeville. In 1942, she left entertaining, returning to her home and her widowed mother. She soon learned how to raise crops and cattle on the family farm. Other than working with community projects, including the Red Cross, she lived a private life until her death in 1982.[13]

Recognition

In 1994, Howell was inducted posthumously into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.[15]

References
  1. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 356. ISBN 9780786479924. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  2. "Pretty Kentucky Belle Is Winning Fame on the Stage". Dayton Daily News. Ohio, Dayton. January 24, 1926. p. 21. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Yerby, Mabel (May 18, 1922). "In Town and Out". Greensboro Watchman. Alabama, Greensboro. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Lottice Howell (1897-1982)". Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. "College Aids Acting, Says Lottice Howell". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. August 28, 1927. p. SO 6. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Lottice Howell, Singer, Goes to New Orleans". The Montgomery Advertiser. Alabama, Montgomery. May 16, 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 12 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Stage Gossip". New York Tribune. New York, New York City. July 10, 1921. p. 6 IV. Retrieved 12 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "About Miss Lottice Howell". The Times. Alabama, Montgomery. The Birmingham News. May 7, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. "Lottice Howell". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  10. "Southern Singer". The Dayton Herald. Ohio, Dayton. February 6, 1929. p. 33. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "M.-G.-M. Signs Lottice Howell". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. October 12, 1929. p. 25. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Lowe's". Dayton Daily News. Ohio, Dayton. May 28, 1930. p. 27. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Benn, Alvin (January 31, 1988). "'Miss Lottice' brought glory to tiny hometown". The Montgomery Advertiser. Alabama, Montgomery. p. 29. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  14. "Lottice Howell". Spring Lake Gazette. New Jersey, Spring Lake. April 14, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 13 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Alphabetical List of Inductees". Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
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