Kathy Westmoreland

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Kathy Westmoreland , actually Kathleen Westmoreland (born August 10, 1945 in Texarkana , Arkansas ), is a former American soprano who was a regular part of Elvis Presley's backing band between August 1970 and August 1977 . She is a distant relative of General William Westmoreland .

Life

Childhood and youth

Kathy Westmoreland spent her early years in her native Texarkana until the family moved to Abilene , Texas in 1952 , where she grew up and attended Abilene High School . 1962 saw the move to California , where she in her last school year 1962/63 Garden Grove High School in Los Angeles attended and in the same class was how the four days younger Steve Martin , with whom she became friends and together in the Bird Cage Theater occurred . Between 1963 and 1970 she worked with various artists until Elvis Presley noticed her and hired her.

Elvis Presley

She joined Elvis on August 22, 1970, immediately after the documentary Elvis - That's the Way It Is had been filmed, and stayed with Elvis until his death on August 16, 1977. The only 1.56 meter tall background singer with the high voice was introduced by Elvis in his shows as “the little girl with the beautiful high voice”.

Elvis felt a great affection for Kathy and there was a strong emotional bond between the two that went beyond the professional relationship. They shared many interests and loved exchanging ideas.

At Presley's funeral, Kathy Westmoreland sang the song My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me . In 1978 she recorded You Were the Music in honor of Elvis Presley. Both songs are included on a CD she has published.

The 1980s

In 1982, Kathy Westmoreland was involved in a serious car accident in which she sustained multiple injuries that forced her to take an extended career break. For much of the 1980s she appeared as a singer, always including some Elvis songs in the program. She married around 1984 and had their daughter Lindsey about nine months later. The marriage ended in divorce after ten years. In 1987, the book Elvis and Kathy , written by Kathy Westmoreland, came out, which has long been sold out and reaches three to four-digit amounts on amazon and ebay .

Filmography (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 85
  2. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 69
  3. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , pp. 1f
  4. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , pp. 5ff
  5. ^ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 137
  6. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 21
  7. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 107
  8. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 25
  9. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 31
  10. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 27
  11. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 78
  12. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 98
  13. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 72
  14. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 74
  15. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 75
  16. ↑ June Moore: Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , p. 76

literature

  • June Moore (in collaboration with Kathy Westmoreland): Kathy Westmoreland: Elvis' voice of an angel , Ju'Mel Publishing, USA, June 2010, ISBN 978-0-9827845-0-1

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Westmoreland, Kathy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Westmoreland, Kathleen (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer (soprano)
DATE OF BIRTH August 10, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Texarkana , Arkansas , USA