JULIE ANDREWS Biography - Other artists & entretainers

 
 

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JULIE ANDREWS
       

Born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1st, 1935, in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, eighteen miles south of London. She was named after her two grandmothers Julia Morris and Elizabeth Wells.

       

Her father Ted Wells was a woodwork teacher and her mother Barbara Morris Wells gave piano lessons and was a part-time pianist for a dance school ran by her sister, Joan Morris. When Julie was two she appeared in the dance schools pageant as a fairy.

       

In 1939 Barbara Wells took a job as a pianist for a variety show. Also on the bill was a tenor named Ted Andrews. After a short while they became a double act. With the advent of World War II, Ted and Barbara Wells grew apart and were divorced. Barbara married Ted Andrews.

       

Julie’s step father began to give her singing lessons in an attempt to get to know her better. To everyone’s surprise Julie had a fully developed larynx, perfect pitch and a large four octave vocal range. Julie soon became part of Ted and Barbara’s act. It was at this time that Julie changed her last name to Andrews simplifying the billing of their act.

       

At the age of eight Julie began to have singing lessons from Madame Lilian Stiles-Allen, who had once been a renowned concert singer. The two became close friends. It was thanks to Lilian’s training that Julie ended up with perfect diction.

       

Julie was ten when World War II ended, and she was allowed for the first time to make unbilled appearances on stage with her parents. During the school holidays Julie spent most of her summer touring England with Ted and Barbara as part of their act.

       

Julie made her radio debut in 1946 singing a duet with Ted Andrews on a BBC variety show called “Monday Night at eight".