by Don McCullen
She was born Ellen Jane Froman on November 10, 1907, in University City, Missouri to parents Elmer Ellswroth Froman and Anna T. Barcafer. At five years of age, Elmer and Anna separated and Jane was raised by her mother and her extended family. Jane’s childhood was spent in Clinton and later Columbia, Missouri. The later would be considered by Jane Froman herself her hometown.
During her childhood, Jane developed a stutter but her mother’s musical background (Anna played piano professionally and taught music at Christian College and Stephens College) opened the doors to a shy young girl to experience something greater. Jane Froman acquired a love of music that helped to bring her out of her shell and opened the door to a successful career.
She went to Christian College (now known today as Columbia College) and briefly went to the University of Missouri studying Journalism. She would later study voice at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music from 1928 to 1930. During her time in Cincinnati, Ohio; Froman started singing on the radio and doing commercials at the legendary WLW Radio.
At WLW she met Don Ross, a staff singer for the radio station and a onetime vaudeville performer. Ross was key in making Forman a popular singer in America. They first sang together and then Ross would arrange auditions for Forman. Ross would become her manager and the pair later married. Don and Jane headed for New York City in 1933 where Jane’s career was about to take wing.
One year later Jane Froman would be considered the number one “girl singer” on the radio. She tried her hand in acting, scoring roles in Stars Over Broadway and Radio City Revels but her acting career would be short-lived due to her stuttering problem which continued to plague her. Jane was still in demand as a singer and regularly performed not just on the radio but in the New York nightclub scene, on Broadway and as a recording artist. She was still the top female singer in 1937 and 1938 but while her musical career was going from strength to strength her marriage was slowly imploding.
In 1941 Jane would begin to entertain American troops as part of the USO (United Service Organization) shows around the Nation. She was one of the first performers to volunteer to entertain soldiers overseas. No one could have predicted the consequences of that choice.
On February 22, 1943, she boarded a Pan American Airways flight in route to her first USO show in Europe. The flight crashed into the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal. Of the 39 passengers on the plane, only 15 survived. Thankfully Jane Froman was one of them. She suffered broken ribs and multiple fractures on her right arm. But it was the fracture in her left leg that would leave a lifelong impact. The injury would require Jane to wear a leg brace for the rest of her life and would also inflict terrible pain in the years to come.
Displaying an indomitable spirit, Jane refused to let her injuries keep her from her dreams. Eight months after the accident she appeared in the show “Artists and Models” wheelchair and all. Moreover, Jane did not let the accident keep her from performing for the troops. In 1945 Jane, now on crutches, performed three months straight for over 30,000 servicemen.
Her personal life once again was once again in turmoil, however. During the accident in Pan Am, Jane had met John Burn who had helped save her life as they waited in the water awaiting rescue workers. After the rescue, John would stay in contact with Jane and would frequently visit her in the hospital while she recovered from her injuries. With her divorce from Don Ross finalized in February 1948, Jane Forman was free to marry John Burn which she did one month later. But her second marriage would be tested greatly and in 1956 they divorced.
Jane Forman’s medical complications finally came to a head when they took their toll on her mental health. She would soon enter the Menninger Clinic in Topeka Kansas to be treated for depression for six months in 1949.
Despite her personal struggles, Jane Froman was a beloved figure to the U.S Troops and the American public. Seeing an opportunity, 20th Century Fox movie studio purchased the rights to produce a biographical film. “With a Song in My Heart” with actress Susan Hayward in the role of Jane Forman was released in 1952. Jane would contribute her own vocals while Hayward lip-synced them on camera. A year later Jane was given her own Television program originally titled USA Canteen before changing it to her namesake.
Jane Forman returned to the Menninger Clinic and this time was given a guided tour of the grounds. She was soon asked to serve on the Menninger Foundation’s Board of Governors. She accepted the position and would remain on the board for the rest of her life. In 1957 she started the Jane Froman Foundation which assisted the children’s hospital at Menninger Clinic.
Jane Froman retired from performing in 1961. She became reacquainted with a former college friend Rowland H. Smith when she returned to Columbia, Missouri. Smith had become the assistant managing editor for the local newspaper the Columbia Tribune. They enjoyed each other’s company and shared common interests. They would marry on June 22, 1962. Forman devoted more time to charity work and community activities including Easter Seals and the Missouri Mental Health Association. Jane Froman briefly came out of the retirement for a benefit Christmas concert in 1969, supporting her own Jane Froman Music Camp. 11 years late Jane Froman died of heart failure at the age of 72.
Jane Froman in her lifetime earned three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Radio, Recording, Television). The contralto with the commanding voice and warm smile lived a complicated life from the time was a shy child with a stutter to the years when physical injury and mental illness threatened to overcome her. Yet, Jane Froman was ever the fighter and time and time again she rose above it all and unselfishly devoted her time and talent to others. The Jane Froman legacy continues with the “Jane Froman Centennial” and loyal fans continue to visit her hometown to honor her.
To learn more about this inspirational singer please visit: janefroman.com