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Peg La CentraAmerican singer and actress
Date of Birth: 10.04.1910
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Peg La Centra
Born on April 10, 1910, in Boston, Massachusetts, Margherita Maria Francesca La Centra, known as Peg La Centra, was an American singer and actress. She gained fame in the late 1930s for her collaboration with Artie Shaw, one of the greatest jazz musicians of his time, as a singer. She successfully transitioned her popularity into an irregular career in film and television from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s.
Early Life and Career
Peg La Centra grew up in Boston and attended Katharine Gibbs Finishing School and the New England Conservatory of Music. She also studied at the Fenway Academy of Dramatic Art, as she initially aspired to become an actress. Before moving to New York City in 1929, Peg worked as a radio announcer at WNAC, a Boston radio station. In New York, she found work at NBC radio station and soon became a popular singer and dramatic actress, appearing in various radio productions and programs. Her attractive appearance led to her photographs appearing on magazine covers. In 1939, she hosted her own radio show called "The Peg La Centra Show."
Film and Television Career
Peg La Centra made her acting debut in the 1946 western film "Cowboy Blues," where she played the role of Lucy. She had already appeared in films in 1937, but only as a singer as part of a performing orchestra in the short musical comedy "Rooftop Frolics." Eventually, Peg seized her chance when she met Artie Shaw, a fellow musician who was already a celebrity in 1936 and led a popular big band. Shaw hired her as a singer, but the following year he disbanded his orchestra. La Centra then sought success with another well-known musician, Benny Goodman. She replaced singer Frances Hunt in Goodman's orchestra but couldn't get along with her leader, so she returned to Artie Shaw, who was forming a new orchestra. Peg also recorded with Johnny Green and Victor Young. Over a few years, she made 41 recordings, with her final recording under her own name in 1938.
For approximately 17 years, La Centra appeared in several films, often singing for the lead actresses, including Ida Lupino in the classic film noir "The Man I Love." She also made occasional appearances in television series as a guest star. Among them were "Suspicion," "Michael Shayne," "Bourbon Street Beat," and the popular medical series "Dr. Kildare," which was her last acting role. In 1957, Peg La Centra had a major role in the television show "The Marge and Gower Champion Show," in which the Champions portrayed themselves: Marge as a dancer and Gower as a choreographer.
Personal Life and Death
Peg La Centra married renowned character actor Paul Stewart in 1939. Over his five-decade-long career, Paul Stewart played more than 100 roles. They remained together until Paul's death in 1986. Peg La Centra passed away on June 1, 1996, at the age of 86, after suffering a heart attack. She spent her final years in Los Angeles, California.
