Nancy Overton

Nancy Swain Overton (born Anne Swain; February 6, 1926 – April 5, 2009) was an American pop singer and songwriter.

Overton first formed a singing group with her sister Jean Swain and two college friends, Bix Brent and Pauli Skindlov in 1946. The group toured with orchestra leader Tommy Tucker for 6 months, was known as Tommy Tucker's Two Timers, and recorded the song "Maybe You'll Be There" with bandleader Tommy and his lead singer Don Brown. Pauli left the group and was replaced by Ellie Decker, who had previously sung with The Meltones (Mel Tormé's quartet). The band also then sang with singer and band leader Ray Heatherton from whom they acquired the bands' next moniker The Heathertones. After Decker left the group to get married, she was replaced as lead singer by Marianne McCormick. The Heathertones disbanded in 1953.

Overton, who married jazz pianist/composer/arranger Hall Overton, sang "Nobody's Heart" as a solo vocalist with the Teddy Charles Quartet in 1954. In 1957, Janet Ertel of The Chordettes, though still recording with the group, elected not to continue touring. Ertel was married to Archie Bleyer, the owner of Cadence Records, the group's label. Nancy Overton was invited to appear with The Chordettes for live appearances and did so until the group broke up in the early 1960s. She didn't record with The Chordettes on their label, Cadence Records; however she did appear on some "Stars For Defense" programs.

She moved to Englewood, New Jersey, in the 1960s, at the recommendation of Dizzy Gillespie. After her husband Hall Overton died in 1972, she retired from show business and worked for Prentice-Hall Publishers as an editorial assistant.

In the early 1990s, The Chordettes regrouped with Overton, Doris Alberti, and original members Lynn Evans and Jean Swain, doing shows ranging from a doo wop concert to touring with Eddy Arnold. A live cassette of a concert in Branson, Missouri was recorded.

Rick Overton, comic actor/writer, is the son of Hall and Nancy Overton.

She moved to Blairstown, New Jersey in 1982 and died there at the age of 83, from esophageal cancer on April 5, 2009.

With Bob Brookmeyer

• The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer (Prestige, 1954)