had an operatic quality to it? I've heard her sing in Oklahoma and some of her other musicals. Curious what others think.

I know if I ever get lucky enough to meet her one thing I'm dying to ask her: did you every consider an operatic career?

She said she did. It was difficult because you had to learn all different languages. She got discovered by Rogers & Hammerstein at age 18. The film Oklahoma was done at age 19.
Her voice has dropped as she got older.

Believe it or not, I never realized she could sing. I always thought she was just an actress that lip synched. I guess she had a really great singing voice huh?

She said she did. It was difficult because you had to learn all different languages. She got discovered by Rogers & Hammerstein at age 18. The film Oklahoma was done at age 19.
Her voice has dropped as she got older.

Thanks for the info - I adore Shirley - a fine talent and even finer lady.

Believe it or not, I never realized she could sing. I always thought she was just an actress that lip synched. I guess she had a really great singing voice huh?

Brian, check out Oklahoma!, Carousel and The Music Man - and see what a nice voice she had!

And a fantastic actress to boot - it was great seeing her in Eleer Gantry where she played a prostitute - of all things - I think she took the role in part to show her range - she's truly a real talent!

had an operatic quality to it? I've heard her sing in Oklahoma and some of her other musicals. Curious what others think.

I know if I ever get lucky enough to meet her one thing I'm dying to ask her: did you every consider an operatic career?
I think her Oklahoma singing IS very operatic and fluid..."Would you say the fringe was made of silk":) from "Surrey with a Fringe on Top"(officially sung by her leading man Gordon MacRae.)

I think her Oklahoma singing IS very operatic and fluid..."Would you say the fringe was made of silk":) from "Surrey with a Fringe on Top"(officially sung by her leading man Gordon MacRae.)
Carousal was her most operatic. That was on last week on TCM and she sounded beautifully.

When you have that narrow range in the upper register your voice has no where to go but down. Her bottom range was never very good. I could think that it has to be anti-climatic to hear her sing now. Barbara Cook was the original favorite for the Music Man and she could still sing. No one knows what happen there.

Did she sing on any of the PF records, or was it all studio session singers?

In the episode where Shirley sang a song with a Killer Whale as her "back-up" singer I thought she sounded very operatic!

Did she sing on any of the PF records, or was it all studio session singers?

The only PF songs with Shirley Jones on lead vocal were "The Christmas Song" from A Partridge Family Christmas Card and "The Whale Song" from "Whatever Happened To Moby Dick?"- it was never released on record/CD. She did do some background vocals but was recorded separately from the session singers that did the bulk of the BG's