India Adams(1927-2020)
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
India Adams was a 'ghost singer', a voice double for Cyd Charisse in The Band Wagon (1953) (her most famous number being "That's Entertainment") and for Joan Crawford in Torch Song (1953). This was kept under wraps for a long time, the actress having had to sign a gag order as part of her contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She later said "you had to swear on a Bible you weren't going to tell anybody." A year later, India dubbed Crawford's singing again for the Republic western Johnny Guitar (1954).
On the strength of her work in Hollywood, she was signed to a recording deal by RCA Victor which led to the release of her first album. In New York during the 50s, India appeared off-Broadway in musicals like Can- Can and Brigadoon and had a successful career as a featured singer in Manhattan nightclubs and at Radio City Music Hall. Working in England between 1965 and 1981, she was on the airwaves with BBC Radio and made frequent television appearances, including in a Royal Command Performance. In 1990, she assembled a vocal quartet, "Hollywood's Secret Singing Stars", teaming up with Annette Warren (who had provided the dubbing voice for Ava Gardner's singing in Show Boat (1951) and for Lucille Ball in Fancy Pants (1950)), former big band vocalist Jo Ann Greer (who had dubbed for Rita Hayworth 's singing in Pal Joey (1957), June Allyson in The Opposite Sex (1956) and Esther Williams in Jupiter's Darling (1955)) and Betty Wand (vocal stand-in for Esther Williams in Pagan Love Song (1950) and Leslie Caron in Gigi (1958)). The act went on to perform at various West Coast venues and the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in New York.
By 2011 and now in her mid-80s, India still regularly headlined at the Catalina Bar & Grill jazz club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, accompanied by her musical director, the pianist Paul Horner. She also made a few forays to screen acting in non-singing character roles, including a small part in the horror film Followed (2018), starring John Savage.
On the strength of her work in Hollywood, she was signed to a recording deal by RCA Victor which led to the release of her first album. In New York during the 50s, India appeared off-Broadway in musicals like Can- Can and Brigadoon and had a successful career as a featured singer in Manhattan nightclubs and at Radio City Music Hall. Working in England between 1965 and 1981, she was on the airwaves with BBC Radio and made frequent television appearances, including in a Royal Command Performance. In 1990, she assembled a vocal quartet, "Hollywood's Secret Singing Stars", teaming up with Annette Warren (who had provided the dubbing voice for Ava Gardner's singing in Show Boat (1951) and for Lucille Ball in Fancy Pants (1950)), former big band vocalist Jo Ann Greer (who had dubbed for Rita Hayworth 's singing in Pal Joey (1957), June Allyson in The Opposite Sex (1956) and Esther Williams in Jupiter's Darling (1955)) and Betty Wand (vocal stand-in for Esther Williams in Pagan Love Song (1950) and Leslie Caron in Gigi (1958)). The act went on to perform at various West Coast venues and the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in New York.
By 2011 and now in her mid-80s, India still regularly headlined at the Catalina Bar & Grill jazz club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, accompanied by her musical director, the pianist Paul Horner. She also made a few forays to screen acting in non-singing character roles, including a small part in the horror film Followed (2018), starring John Savage.
