SHIRLEY JONES
Name: Shirley Mae Jones
Born: 31 March 1934 Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American
singer and actress perhaps best known for her role as "Shirley Partridge", the
widowed single mother of five children, in the television series The Partridge
Family, co-starring her real-life stepson, David Cassidy.
Jones was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, later moving
to nearby Smithton, Pennsylvania, to Marjorie Williams and Paul Jones, who was
the owner of the Jones Brewing Company. An only child, she was named after
Shirley Temple. She won a beauty pageant as a teenager and was crowned "Miss
Pittsburgh 1952."
Before The Partridge Family, Jones had already achieved fame as a singer and
actress. She starred in many films, including the highly successful musicals
Oklahoma!, Carousel, April Love and The Music Man, in which she often embodied
or represented wholesome beauty and kindness of character. In a rare "naughty
girl" role, she won an Oscar for her role in Elmer Gantry as a prostitute
corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him. She attempted a
television comeback in 1979 with the family drama Shirley, but the series fared
poorly and was canceled after thirteen episodes. Ms. Jones was also widely
appreciated and well-liked as the mother of Drew Carey in "The Drew Carey Show",
appearing in several episodes. These appearances show-cased her excellent timing
as a comedienne.
Although best known for her movie and television roles, Shirley has an
impressive stage résumé, including the musical Maggie Flynn on Broadway and a
stellar turn in a rare revival of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet at the
Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1983. In 2004, Shirley returned to Broadway in a
revival of 42nd Street, portraying diva "Dorothy Brock", opposite her son,
Patrick Cassidy, the first time a mother and son were known to star together on
Broadway. In July 2005, Shirley revisited the musical Carousel onstage in
Massachusetts portraying Cousin Nettie. Shirley continues to appear in venues
nationwide, in concert and in speaking engagements.
In July 2006, Jones received an Emmy nomination for her supporting performance
in the TV film "Hidden Places". Shirley was nominated for a SAG award for the
same film, but did not win; the award went instead to Helen Mirren for Elizabeth
I.
She also appeared in 2006's "Grandma's Boy," produced by Adam Sandler, as a
nymphomaniacal senior citizen.
On November 16, 2007, Shirley Jones took stage at the Oklahoma Centennial
Spectacular concert at the Ford Center celebrating Oklahoma's 100th Birthday.
Jones sang the Oklahoma Overture and People Will Say We're In Love from her lead
role in Oklahoma!.
In early 2008, it was announced that Shirley would begin playing the role of
Colleen Brady on the iconic NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives.
Name: Shirley Mae Jones
Born: 31 March 1934 Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American
singer and actress perhaps best known for her role as "Shirley Partridge", the
widowed single mother of five children, in the television series The Partridge
Family, co-starring her real-life stepson, David Cassidy.
Jones was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, later moving
to nearby Smithton, Pennsylvania, to Marjorie Williams and Paul Jones, who was
the owner of the Jones Brewing Company. An only child, she was named after
Shirley Temple. She won a beauty pageant as a teenager and was crowned "Miss
Pittsburgh 1952."
Before The Partridge Family, Jones had already achieved fame as a singer and
actress. She starred in many films, including the highly successful musicals
Oklahoma!, Carousel, April Love and The Music Man, in which she often embodied
or represented wholesome beauty and kindness of character. In a rare "naughty
girl" role, she won an Oscar for her role in Elmer Gantry as a prostitute
corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him. She attempted a
television comeback in 1979 with the family drama Shirley, but the series fared
poorly and was canceled after thirteen episodes. Ms. Jones was also widely
appreciated and well-liked as the mother of Drew Carey in "The Drew Carey Show",
appearing in several episodes. These appearances show-cased her excellent timing
as a comedienne.
Although best known for her movie and television roles, Shirley has an
impressive stage résumé, including the musical Maggie Flynn on Broadway and a
stellar turn in a rare revival of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet at the
Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1983. In 2004, Shirley returned to Broadway in a
revival of 42nd Street, portraying diva "Dorothy Brock", opposite her son,
Patrick Cassidy, the first time a mother and son were known to star together on
Broadway. In July 2005, Shirley revisited the musical Carousel onstage in
Massachusetts portraying Cousin Nettie. Shirley continues to appear in venues
nationwide, in concert and in speaking engagements.
In July 2006, Jones received an Emmy nomination for her supporting performance
in the TV film "Hidden Places". Shirley was nominated for a SAG award for the
same film, but did not win; the award went instead to Helen Mirren for Elizabeth
I.
She also appeared in 2006's "Grandma's Boy," produced by Adam Sandler, as a
nymphomaniacal senior citizen.
On November 16, 2007, Shirley Jones took stage at the Oklahoma Centennial
Spectacular concert at the Ford Center celebrating Oklahoma's 100th Birthday.
Jones sang the Oklahoma Overture and People Will Say We're In Love from her lead
role in Oklahoma!.
In early 2008, it was announced that Shirley would begin playing the role of
Colleen Brady on the iconic NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives.