Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Encyclopedia

Leah Ray

American singer and actress from Norfolk, VA

Leah Ray Hubbard (February 16, 1915, May 27, 1999) was an American singer and actress born in Norfolk, Virginia. She sang with major dance bands and acted in more than a dozen motion pictures.

01Big-band vocalist

Soon after Ray moved to California, her uncle introduced her to Phil Harris and arranged for a tryout. As a result, she was singing for the Harris orchestra at age 16. She also sang with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra.

02Films

Leah Ray's screen debut came in 1934, co-starring with Bob Hope in his own screen debut, the musical-comedy short subject Going Spanish (1934). The film was produced in New York by Educational Pictures and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox. Fox signed Ray for feature films, including One in a Million (1936)., The Holy Terror (1937), Wake Up and Live (1937), and (co-starring with Tony Martin) Sing and Be Happy (1937).

In a situation described in a newspaper article as "extraordinary," Ray's mother (also named Leah Ray Hubbard) was her daughter's stand-in, "working with her in all her pictures."

03Personal life

While singing with the Phil Harris orchestra, Leah Ray met Music Corporation of America executive Sonny Werblin. They married on March 27, 1938, and had three sons: Robert, Thomas, and Hubbard. The Werblins were married for more than 50 years until his death in 1991. She and her husband established the David and Leah Ray Werblin Foundation that provided financial support for Rutgers University, charitable causes, and cultural activities.

04Thoroughbred racing

Sonny Werblin was a shareholder and director of Monmouth Park Racetrack and builder of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which included a horse racing venue. Leah Ray Werblin and her husband raced Thoroughbred horses under the nom de course, Elberon Farm. Among their racing successes, their colt, Silent Screen, was voted the 1969 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.

Leah Ray Werblin died on May 27, 1999, at her home in Rumson, New Jersey at the age of 82.

Watch videos about Leah RayExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Leah Ray, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.