The Ozark Nightingale

We have another centenary to mark today - admittedly an obscure one (at least to those of us on this side of the pond) - Miss Judy Canova.

Wildly popular in her heyday in the 40s and 50s for her madcap comedy and songs, she starred in more than two dozen Hollywood films and had huge success with her own radio programme The Judy Canova Show.

I knew very little about her before, but when I found this clip I just had to share... Here she is, exercising her formidable vocal gymnastics on that old Sophie Tucker standard, Some of These Days:

Judy Canova - Some of These Days

They don't make 'em like that any more!

Facts about Judy Canova:

• None other than Busby Berkeley gave Miss Canova her first screen role in In Caliente in 1935.
• Her radio show ran for twelve years in the US, and her co-stars included Mel Blanc ("Bugs Bunny"), Gale Gordon (The Lucy Show) and Hans Conried (The 5000 Fingers of Doctor T).
• Specialising in "zany hillbilly" characters, among her nicknames was "The Ozark Nightingale"; and her popularity influenced the likes of Red Ingle to produce his own hillbilly spoof records such as Cigareets and Whuskey.
• Her daughter Diana is most famous for playing "Corinne Tate" in the long-running 70s comedy series Soap.

Judy Canova (born Juliette Canova, 20th November 1913 – 5th August 1983)