Jessica Dragonette papers

1927-1973 [bulk bulk 1927-1950]

Jessica Dragonette (c. 1900-1980) was a soprano who achieved popularity through her twenty-two year career performing on radio, and for her efforts to support troops during World War II. Dragonette was born in Calcutta to Italian-American parents who both died shortly after returning to the United States. Dragonette was six years old at the time and was subsequently raised in various Roman Catholic Church institutions. She attended the Catholic High School in Philadelphia and then Georgian Court College in Lakewood, New Jersey, which was also a convent. Dragonette remained a devout Roman Catholic throughout her life and returned to Georgian Court College annually to perform.

While Dragonette was still in college, she began training under the renowned voice teacher Estelle Liebling in New York City. In 1924, Dragonette made her debut in the offstage role of angel in Max Reinhardt's The Miracle. She performed in two more Reinhardt productions, The Student Prince and The Grand Street Follies. In 1926, Dragonette appeared on the Coca-Cola Hour, radio's first original singing and acting serial, as Vivian (the Coca-Cola girl). The next year Dragonette started appearing on another popular show, the Philco Radio Hour. She performed weekly on the Philco Radio Hour from 1927 until 1930 when she left the program to star on the Cities Service Concert Series. In 1937, Dragonette became the star of the The Palmolive Beauty Box, but the show folded later that year. Dragonette had a dedicated fan base throughout her radio career; she was voted "Queen of the Radio" in a nation-wide Radio Guide contest in 1935 and "Radio Star of Stars" in 1938. Dragonette took a temporary leave from performing on radio full-time and began touring around the United States and Canada. In 1939, Dragonette sang the part of Princess Glory in the animated motion picture Gulliver's Travels. During World War II, Dragonette performed for troops and sold war bonds.

In 1947, Dragonette married businessman Nicholas Turner and retired from performing, though she occasionally sang at special events. In 1950, she recorded an album of religious songs called Ave Maria. Dragonette wrote an autobiography about her career and her Roman Catholic faith called Faith is a Song (1952), and a book on voice instruction called Your Voice and You (1966). Dragonette died March 18, 1980 in New York City, where she resided most of her life.