Annie Ross
Jazz vocalist and actress who pioneered vocalese.
Annie Ross was born Annabelle Allan Short on 25 July 1930 in Surrey, England, to Scottish vaudeville performers John "Jack" Short and Mary Dalziel Short. Her brother, Jimmy Logan, became a Scottish entertainer and theatre producer. She first stepped onstage at age three, and at four traveled to New York by ship with her family, recalling they bought the cheapest ticket, "right in the bowels of the ship." Soon after arriving, she won a token MGM contract through a children's radio contest run by Paul Whiteman. She then moved to Los Angeles with her aunt, Scottish-American singer and actress Ella Logan, while her parents and brother returned to Scotland; she would not see them again for fourteen years. At seven, she sang "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" in *Our Gang Follies of 1938* and played Judy Garland's character's sister in *Presenting Lily Mars* (1943). At 14, she wrote "Let's Fly," winning a songwriting contest; Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers recorded it. After finishing 10th grade, she left school, changed her name to Annie Ross, and went to Europe to build her singing career. She adopted the surname Ross during the plane trip to Prestwick, explaining in a 2011 interview that her aunt, "very fanciful," said she had an Irish grandmother named Ross.
In 1952, Ross met Prestige Records owner Bob Weinstock, who asked her to write lyrics to a jazz solo in the style of King Pleasure—a practice later called vocalese. The next day, she gave him "Twisted," based on Wardell Gray's 1949 composition of the same name. Released in 1952 (later collected on *King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings*), it became an underground hit and earned her *Down Beat* magazine's New Star award. In February 1956, the British music magazine *NME* reported that the BBC banned her version of "I Want You to Be My Baby" because of the lyric "Come upstairs and have some loving."
Between 1957 and 1962, she recorded seven albums with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Their debut, *Sing a Song of Basie* (1957), was originally planned as a project by Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert with Ross as a vocal consultant. The trio decided to record the material themselves and overdub additional vocals, but after two unsatisfactory tracks, they abandoned the dubbing idea. The album succeeded, and the trio became an international hit, touring worldwide and releasing albums like *The Hottest New Group in Ja
- died
- 21 July 2022, New York City, from emphysema and heart disease
Lore & Background
Ross was born in Surrey, England, to Scottish vaudevillians. She first appeared on stage at age three and at four traveled to New York by ship. She won a token contract with MGM through a children's radio contest and later moved to Los Angeles with her aunt, singer Ella Logan. At seven, she sang in Our Gang Follies of 1938 and played a role in Presenting Lily Mars (1943). At 14, she wrote the song 'Let's Fly,' which won a contest and was recorded by Johnny Mercer. She left school after 10th grade, changed her name to Annie Ross, and went to Europe to pursue singing.
In 1952, she met Prestige Records owner Bob Weinstock, who asked her to write lyrics to a jazz solo. The next day she presented 'Twisted,' a treatment of Wardell Gray's composition. She also provided the singing voice for the character Willow in The Wicker Man (1973).
Reader's Guide
Annie Ross's significance lies in her pioneering role in vocalese, a jazz style that sets lyrics to instrumental solos. Her 1952 recording 'Twisted' is a classic of the genre and helped establish her as a key figure in 1950s jazz. As a member of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, she contributed to albums that reimagined the work of Count Basie and Duke Ellington, bringing vocal jazz to international audiences. Her career also spanned acting in film and television, with notable roles in Superman III and Robert Altman's Short Cuts. Despite personal struggles with heroin addiction and financial difficulties, Ross received major honors late in life, including the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2010. Her legacy endures through her recordings and her influence on later jazz vocalists.
Did You Know?
- Ross wrote the song 'Let's Fly' at age 14; it was recorded by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers.
- Her 1952 vocalese piece 'Twisted' was an underground hit and won her Down Beat's New Star award.
- In 1956, the BBC banned her version of 'I Want You to Be My Baby' due to the lyric 'Come upstairs and have some loving.'
- She provided the speaking voice for Britt Ekland in The Wicker Man (1973).
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