Singer and Philantropist. Born Virginia O'Connor, she began a professional career as a singer before she was out of her teens and went on to sing for a number of years in Mel Torme's Mel-Tones. She attended Los Angeles City College, where she formed a vocal group with Bernie Parke, Diz Disruhd and Betty Beveridge called the School Kids. In 1943, Torme asked her to join his group the Mel-Tones, where she sang until 1946, before moving on to become one of the Mello-Larks for Tex Beneke, who had taken over the Glenn Miller orchestra in 1946. It was there she met Henry Mancini who was playing piano and writing arrangements for the band. They were married in September 1947. As Mancini's career as a film composer rose in the 1950s and early 1960s, Ginny raised their three children and sang part-time for the studios and on various TV variety shows including those of Red Skelton, Danny Kaye, Carol Burnett and Dinah Shore. She also sang regularly on radio shows and in the chorus of numerous films, including 'The Harvey Girls' at MGM and 'The Music Man.' In 1984, she founded the Society of Singers, after learning that a professional colleague had fallen on hard times. The organization raised millions to help singers in need. Three years after Mancini's death, The Henry Mancini Institute was founded by his colleague Jack Elliott as a Los Angeles-based music academy, where Ginny served as president of its board of directors for several years. She continued to support music education for the rest of her life, including funding the ASCAP Foundation Henry Mancini Music Fellowship and serving on the board of the non-profit Film Music Society.
Singer and Philantropist. Born Virginia O'Connor, she began a professional career as a singer before she was out of her teens and went on to sing for a number of years in Mel Torme's Mel-Tones. She attended Los Angeles City College, where she formed a vocal group with Bernie Parke, Diz Disruhd and Betty Beveridge called the School Kids. In 1943, Torme asked her to join his group the Mel-Tones, where she sang until 1946, before moving on to become one of the Mello-Larks for Tex Beneke, who had taken over the Glenn Miller orchestra in 1946. It was there she met Henry Mancini who was playing piano and writing arrangements for the band. They were married in September 1947. As Mancini's career as a film composer rose in the 1950s and early 1960s, Ginny raised their three children and sang part-time for the studios and on various TV variety shows including those of Red Skelton, Danny Kaye, Carol Burnett and Dinah Shore. She also sang regularly on radio shows and in the chorus of numerous films, including 'The Harvey Girls' at MGM and 'The Music Man.' In 1984, she founded the Society of Singers, after learning that a professional colleague had fallen on hard times. The organization raised millions to help singers in need. Three years after Mancini's death, The Henry Mancini Institute was founded by his colleague Jack Elliott as a Los Angeles-based music academy, where Ginny served as president of its board of directors for several years. She continued to support music education for the rest of her life, including funding the ASCAP Foundation Henry Mancini Music Fellowship and serving on the board of the non-profit Film Music Society.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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