Lucy Monroe
Lucy Monroe (October 23, 1906 – October 13, 1987) was an American operatic soprano and dancer. She was noted for her performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States, which she performed for Presidents and at sporting and military events, which earned her the nickname of "The Star-Spangled Soprano". Early life Monroe was born on October 23, 1906, in Manhattan, New York; she was the only child of Anna Laughlin, an actress, and Dwight Monroe, a gem merchant. Dwight met Anna when she performed the role of Dorothy Gale in the Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz. On her father's side, she was a descendant of James Monroe. Monroe graduated from the Horace Mann School, where she was a member of the glee club. Her father did not want her to pursue a career in music, but after he died in 1925, her mother encouraged Monroe's ambitions. She pursued further studies in singing with Estelle Liebling, the voice teacher of Beverly Sills, in New York City. Career Monroe began her career in 1925 as a dancer for the Ziegfeld Follies and also became a backup singer. In the 1930s, she appeared on The American Album