Adriana Caselotti

Adriana was a singer. Her family loved music too. Her father was a teacher. Her mother was a singer. Adriana sang for a famous movie. She was the voice of Snow White. Her singing made the character special. She even sang for a big theme park. Later, she was named a Disney Legend. This was a very big honor. People still remember her sweet voice today.

Adriana Caselotti was a famous American singer and actress. She was born in 1916. Music was in her family. Her father was a music teacher. Her mother was a singer in a big opera house. Adriana grew up loving music too.

In 1935, Walt Disney hired her. She became the voice of Snow White. This was for the first Disney movie. She sang songs like "I'm Wishing." Her voice helped make the character feel real. Disney wanted her voice to stay special. He did not want other shows to use it.

Adriana did other work in films. She sang in the movie The Wizard of Oz. She also sang in It's a Wonderful Life. Later in life, she sang opera. She even wrote a book about singing.

In 1994, she became a Disney Legend. This was a big honor. It was the first time a woman voice actor got this award. She also sang for a new exhibit at Disneyland. She died in 1997. People still remember her beautiful voice.

Adriana Caselotti was a talented American singer and actress. She is most famous for her beautiful voice. She provided the voice for Snow White in the 1937 film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This was the very first animated feature film from Walt Disney. Her voice helped bring the princess to life for audiences everywhere. In 1994, she became a Disney Legend. This was a very special honor for her. She was the first female voice-over artist to receive this title.

Music was a big part of her life from the start. She was born on May 6, 1916, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her family had many musical talents. Her father, Guido, was a music teacher and an organist. Her mother, Maria, was a singer at the Royal Opera Theatre of Rome. Even her older sister, Louise, sang opera and taught lessons. Adriana moved to Italy when she was seven years old. She stayed there for three years to study at a convent. When she returned to New York, she studied singing with her father.

Caselotti worked hard to find her place in Hollywood. In 1934, she attended Hollywood High School. She sang in the Girls' Glee Club there. In 1935, Walt Disney hired her to be the voice of Snow White. She was paid $970 for her work on that movie. She did not get her name in the movie credits at that time. Later, a man named Jack Benny wanted to use her voice on his radio show. Walt Disney said no because he did not want to spoil the illusion of Snow White.

She had several other jobs in the film industry. In 1939, she sang a part in the movie The Wizard of Oz. She played the voice of Juliet during a song. In 1946, she sang in the film It's a Wonderful Life. She also appeared in many promotional spots for Disney. In 1972, she sang on a television show called The Julie Andrews Hour. She sang famous songs like "I'm Wishing" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come." She even wrote a book called Do You Like to Sing?

In her later years, Adriana stayed connected to her love of music. At age 75, she re-recorded her famous song for a new exhibit at Disneyland. This exhibit was called the Snow White Wishing Well. She also performed opera, including a role in Rigoletto. Adriana Caselotti passed away on January 19, 1997, at her home in Los Angeles. She was 80 years old. People still remember her as the voice that helped start the magic of Disney animation.

Adriana Caselotti was a prominent American actress and singer. She is best remembered for her vocal performance as the title character in the 1937 film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This film was the first animated feature produced by Walt Disney. Caselotti's voice helped define the character for generations of viewers. In 1994, she was honored as a Disney Legend. This recognition made her the first female voice-over artist to receive the title.

Music was a central element of Caselotti's upbringing and family life. She was born on May 6, 1916, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to an Italian-American family. Her father, Guido Luigi Emanuele Caselotti, was an immigrant from Udine. He worked as a music teacher, a vocal coach, and an organist for the Holy Rosary Church. Her mother, Maria Josephine, was a coloratura soprano at the Royal Opera Theatre of Rome. Her older sister, Louise, also sang opera and provided voice lessons to students, including Maria Callas.

Caselotti's life involved significant movement between the United States and Europe. At age seven, her family moved to Italy while her mother toured with an opera company. During this time, Caselotti was educated and boarded at the San Getulio convent near Rome. After three years, her family returned to New York. There, she re-learned the English language and continued her musical training by studying singing with her father. By 1934, she was attending Hollywood High School, where she participated in the Girls' Glee Club and performed in the musical The Belle of New York.

Her professional career in film began when Walt Disney hired her in 1935. Before this, she had worked briefly as a session singer and a chorus girl at MGM. For her work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, she received a total payment of $970. Although her voice was central to the film, she was not credited for the role. This lack of credit and the unique nature of her voice created challenges for her future work. For instance, Jack Benny requested permission to use her voice on his radio show. Walt Disney denied the request to avoid spoiling the illusion of the Snow White character.

Caselotti maintained a presence in the film industry through several uncredited roles. In 1939, she provided the voice for Juliet during the song "If I Only Had a Heart" in the film The Wizard of Oz. In 1946, she appeared in the film It's a Wonderful Life. In that movie, she sang in Martini's bar while the character James Stewart was praying. She also appeared in various promotional spots for the Snow White film and signed memorabilia for fans. Her career included roles as an opera singer and an actress in various animated and live-action productions.

In her later years, Caselotti continued to share her talent through television and recording. On Thanksgiving Day in 1972, she appeared on The Julie Andrews Hour. During this guest appearance, she performed the songs "I'm Wishing" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come" alongside Julie Andrews. She also appeared on The Mike Douglas Show. At age 75, she returned to her most famous role by re-recording "I'm Wishing." This recording was used for the Snow White Wishing Well exhibit during a refurbishment of the Snow White Grotto at Disneyland.

Caselotti's personal life included four marriages. Her first marriage was to Robert James Chard, a theater ticket broker, in 1945. She later married Norval Weir Mitchell in 1952, but he passed away in 1972. That same year, she married a podiatrist named Joseph Dana Costigan, who lived until 1982. Her final marriage was to Joseph Laureat Florian St. Pierre, a retired postal employee, in 1989. Caselotti died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on January 19, 1997. She was 80 years old.