Eileen Barton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eileen Barton
Background information
Born	(1924-11-24)November 24, 1924 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	June 27, 2006(2006-06-27) (aged 81) West Hollywood, California, U.S.
Genres	Traditional pop
Years active	1930–1980
Labels	Capitol, National, Mercury, Coral

Eileen Barton (born November 24, 1924 – died June 27, 2006) was a talented American singer. She is most famous for her big hit song in 1950, "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake."

Eileen Barton's Early Life and Start in Show Business

Eileen Barton was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents, Benny and Elsie Barton, were vaudeville performers. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with different acts like singing, dancing, and comedy.

Eileen started performing very young. When she was just two and a half years old, she sang "Ain't Misbehavin" with her parents in Kansas City. By age three and a half, she was performing twice a day at the famous Palace Theater in New York City. She was part of comedian Ted Healy's show. Ted Healy later helped create The Three Stooges.

Eileen Barton: A Radio Star

Eileen quickly became a child star. By age six, she was on a radio show called The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour. This show was sponsored by a well-known restaurant chain called Horn & Hardart's Automat.

When she was seven, from 1936 to 1937, Eileen worked with Milton Berle on his Community Sing radio program. She used the name "Jolly Gillette" and pretended to be the sponsor's daughter. She would ask to sing, and after some playful back-and-forth, she would perform a popular song. She also appeared regularly on The Milton Berle Show in 1939.

At eight years old, Eileen had her own daily singing program on radio station WMCA called Arnold's Dinner Club. At age ten, she was a guest on Rudy Vallée's network radio program twice in 1936. She also acted in other radio series, like Death Valley Days.

After a short break from show business at age eleven, Eileen returned to the Broadway stage at fourteen. She was an understudy for Nancy Walker in the musical Best Foot Forward. Later, she appeared with Elaine Stritch in Angel in the Wings.

When she was fifteen, Eileen was a guest singer on a Johnny Mercer variety show. This led to her being noticed by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra helped her get a regular spot on his CBS radio show in the 1940s. She co-starred on Sinatra's show starting in August 1944. She also performed with Sinatra at the Paramount Theater many times. Eileen also performed on her own and as a guest with other famous stars like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, and Danny Kaye.

In 1945, Eileen Barton had her own radio program called Teen Timers. That November, the show's name changed to The Eileen Barton Show, and it was broadcast on NBC every Saturday morning. In 1954, she starred in another radio show, The Eileen Barton Show, which had 13 episodes made for the United States Marine Corps.

Eileen Barton on Television

Eileen Barton was a regular performer on several television shows. She appeared on The Swift Show in 1948, Broadway Open House in 1951, and The Bill Goodwin Show from 1951 to 1952. Later, in 1961 and 1962, she was the "assistant mayor" on the TV game shows Video Village and Video Village, Jr..

Eileen Barton's Music Recordings

Eileen Barton's first recording was for servicemen on a special V-Disc, where she sang two songs. Her first record available to the public was "They Say It's Wonderful" for Mercury Records in 1946. She later recorded for Capitol Records in 1948.

Her biggest success came in 1949 when she joined National Records. She recorded "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake". She first sang this song on Don McNeill's radio program, The Breakfast Club. The song became a huge hit, reaching number one on the Billboard charts and staying popular for over four months. It was one of the best-selling records from a smaller record label at that time.

After the success of "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake," Eileen became a popular performer in nightclubs and on stage. She performed in many important clubs in New York City and other places. In the 1950s, she was a featured singer with Guy Lombardo and his orchestra.

In 1951, she moved to Coral Records. She had some chart success with her versions of songs that were bigger hits for other artists, such as "Cry", "Sway", and "Pretend".

By 1956, Eileen Barton moved to Epic Records. However, the rise of rock-and-roll music meant that many singers of her style stopped having big hits. Her chart success ended in the late 1950s. She released singles for a few more record labels before she stopped recording in 1963. Even though she recorded for 17 years, Eileen Barton never released a full album. All her recorded music was on singles and EPs (smaller records with a few songs).

Eileen also appeared in movies and on television. She continued to perform live until the early 1980s.

Personal Life and Passing

Eileen Barton married industrialist Dan Shaw in 1961. She passed away at her home in West Hollywood from ovarian cancer at the age of 81. She did not have any children.

Eileen Barton's Hit Records