Monica Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monica Lewis
Lewis in Korea, 1951
Born	May Lewis (1922-05-05)May 5, 1922 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 12, 2015(2015-06-12) (aged 93) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Singer, film actress
Years active	1948–1988
Spouse(s)	Bob Thiele ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1947)​ Jennings Lang ​ ​ (m. 1956; died 1996)​
Children	3

Monica Lewis (born May Lewis; May 5, 1922 – June 12, 2015) was a talented American jazz singer and actress. She was famous for being the voice of the cartoon character Chiquita Banana. Monica Lewis started voicing Miss Chiquita in 1947. She also appeared in many films and television shows.

Early Life and Family

Monica Lewis was born as May Lewis in Chicago, Illinois, on May 22, 1922. She was the youngest of three children. Music was a big part of her family. Her father, Leon, was a pianist, composer, and musical director for CBS. Her mother, Jessica, was a singer with the Chicago Opera Company. Monica learned to sing from her mother.

When Monica was 11, her family moved to New York City. This move happened during a tough economic time called The Great Depression.

Starting a Music Career

Monica Lewis began her singing career on the radio. She had a successful audition with WMCA in New York City. This led to her own radio program. At age 17, while studying at Hunter College, she sang for a radio show called Gloom Dodgers. This helped her support her family. Soon after, she had another radio show named Monica Makes Music. She also co-starred on The Chesterfield Supper Club on the radio.

Monica also performed on Broadway in a show called Johnny 2X4. She played a singing cigarette girl. Her work on Broadway led her to perform at the famous Stork Club. She then decided to leave school. It was around this time that she changed her name from May to Monica. She felt the name Monica suited her better.

In 1943, jazz pianist Leonard Feather told Monica that bandleader Benny Goodman needed a new singer. His previous singer, Peggy Lee, had left. Monica auditioned in Times Square against many other women. She won the part and began singing with Goodman's orchestra. She performed on the roof of the Hotel Astor.

With Benny Goodman's help, Monica's career grew. She appeared on popular national radio shows like The Revere Camera Show and Beat the Band. During this time, she was known as "America’s Singing Sweetheart." She recorded songs for several record labels, including Signature, MGM, Decca, Capitol, and Verve Records. Some of her well-known songs include "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Autumn Leaves."

Voice Acting and Acting Roles

In 1947, Monica Lewis became the singing voice for "Miss Chiquita Banana." This was a popular cartoon character in television commercials.

In 1948, she appeared on the very first episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. At that time, it was called Toast of the Town. Her brother, Marlo Lewis, helped create and produce the show.

In 1950, Monica signed a contract with MGM, a major film studio. She appeared in many films, such as The Strip and Everything I Have Is Yours. Later, in the 1970s, she acted in several popular disaster films. These included Earthquake (1974), Rollercoaster (1977), and Airport '77 (1977). She also appeared in The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979).

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Monica Lewis also made guest appearances on many television action series. Some of these shows were Peter Gunn, Wagon Train, The Virginian, and Ironside.

She returned to singing in the 1980s and 1990s. She performed at popular clubs in Los Angeles and New York City. Just ten days before she passed away, she spoke about her career to The New Yorker magazine.

Personal Life

Monica Lewis was married two times. Her first husband was Bob Thiele, a record producer. They married in 1945 but divorced a few years later. In the 1950s, she moved to Beverly Hills, California.

In 1956, she married film producer Jennings Lang. They stayed married until he passed away in 1996. Monica and Jennings had three children together. Her sister Barbara was a pianist, and her brother Marlo Lewis was a co-producer of The Ed Sullivan Show.

In her 2011 book, Hollywood Through My Eyes, Monica Lewis shared an interesting story. She revealed that actor Ronald Reagan, who later became a U.S. President, had once asked her to marry him. However, Monica declined his proposal.

Monica Lewis passed away peacefully at her home in Woodland Hills, California, on June 12, 2015. She was 93 years old.

Filmography