Sally Sweetland
Quick Facts
Biography
Sally Sweetland (née Mueller; September 23, 1911 – February 8, 2015) was an American soprano singer and teacher.
Professional career
In the 1940s, Sweetland provided voice dubbing for singing voices in movies, notably for Joan Leslie in several films including Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and Rhapsody in Blue (1945), as well as for Brenda Marshall, Martha Vickers and Joan Fontaine in other films of that era. She was featured as solo artist on television programs such as The Perry Como Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. She was the female soloist on Gaslight Gayeties on NBC Red in the mid-1940s and on Top of the Evening, which debuted in 1944.
In the early 1950s, Sweetland's backing vocals were featured on several early sessions by the young Tony Bennett, and she also took part in numerous children's records. In 1953, Sweetland's duet with Eddie Fisher of the song "I'm Walking Behind You" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Sweetland later worked as a vocal coach with her husband Lee, a baritone, who was Woody Woodpecker's singing voice on NBC radio. Among their students were Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy.
Personal life
Sweetland was born in Los Angeles. She celebrated her 100th birthday in 2011, citing laughter as her secret to longevity. She was widowed in 2009 and, as of 2013, was a resident of Banning, California. She died at her home there, on February 8, 2015, aged 103.
Soundtrack list (film dubbing)
- 1940 – The Sea Hawk ("Old Spanish Song"; dubbed Brenda Marshall)
- 1942 – Yankee Doodle Dandy ("Mary's a Grand Old Name", "Harrigan", and "The Warmest Baby in the Bunch"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1943 – The Hard Way ("Youth Must Have Its Fling", "Shuffle Off to Buffalo", "She's a Latin from Manhattan", and "My Little Buckaroo"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1943 – The Constant Nymph ("Tomorrow"; dubbed Joan Fontaine)
- 1943 – The Sky's the Limit ("My Shining Hour"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1943 – Phantom of the Opera ("Martha" (Act 3, opera excerpt; dubbed Jane Farrar; "Amour et gloire"; dubbed Jane Farrar)
- 1943 – Thank Your Lucky Stars ("I'm Riding for a Fall" and "No You, No Me"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1944 – Hollywood Canteen ("Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1944 – Knickerbocker Holiday ("It Never Was You"; dubbed Constance Dowling)
- 1945 – Where Do We Go from Here? ("If Love Remains", "All at Once" and "Morale"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1945 – Rhapsody in Blue ("Embraceable You", "Swanee", "Smiles", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Delishious"; dubbed Joan Leslie)
- 1946 – The Time, the Place and the Girl ("A Rainy Night in Rio" and "A Gal in Calico"; dubbed Martha Vickers. Also dubbed singing for Florence Bates)