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The
earliest picture we have of Norma Jean, cradled in the arms of her mother
Clara, who was taken from the loving Speranza family when Norma Jean was
only four years old. Many years later Jill would compose a beautifully
poignant tribute in song to that mother of whom by then she had only scant
memories. |
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Even
as a toddler Norma Jean was already displaying signs of the inherent beauty
and that infectious smile that were to become two of her trade marks when
she mounted the world stage as Jill Corey just a few years later. |
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Beloved
Papa, Bernard Speranza, with whom Norma Jean became very close, particularly
after the death of Jill's mother. Later, as Jill's career blossomed
during the 50's, she would send her father on a vacation to Italy, where
he would meet family and friends he had not seen since emigrating to the
United States many years before. |
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Click
the image and you can find the young Norma Jean Speranza among her classmates
in Miss Hazel Repine's first graders during the 1941-42 academic year. |
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Attending
a birthday party in Avonmore, Jill is already the center of attention. |
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The
smiling Jill is age eleven in this picture. |
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This
is a school picture taken when Norma Jean was in sixth or seventh grade.
We are indebted to her classmate Helen Diebler Whitehouse, who presently
resides in Buckley, Washington for supplying us with this photo of the
young Norma Jean. |
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Norma
Jean as a freshman or sophomore at Bell-Avon High School. |
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Norma
Jean with close friend Anice Ziemianski in 1948. |
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By
age fourteen Norma Jean was already singing professionally for five dollars
a night with the Johnny Murphy Orchestra, a local area dance band. |
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Young
Norma Jean is escorted by proud papa Bernard Speranza. |
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Norma
Jean with Joe Alsippi, Carole Rumbaugh and John Ziemainski dressed for
the Bell-Avon High School Freshman Prom, May 1950. |
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Norma
Jean and classmates attending another prom at Bell-Avon High School in
1952 or 1953.
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Jill's
high school senior pictures |
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Norma
Jean graduated ninth in her class at Bell-Avon High School on May 27, 1953.
Click the image and you can see her (first in the front row) with the rest
of her Class of 1953. |
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Norma
Jean with fellow graduates Margaret Beatty and Carole Rumbaugh, May 27,
1953. |
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Click
here or on the image at left to see additional pictures of Jill and
family from the LIFE magazine photo session by Gordon Parks
on September 28, 1953. |
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The
Jill Storey story: Following Jill's auditions for Mitch Miller,
Dave Garroway and Arthur Godfrey, the good news of her success was immediately
wired home to her family in Avonmore. Included in the message was
the new stage name for Norma Jean chosen by Dave Garroway for his young
singer. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line of communication,
perhaps in the telegraph office, the name Jill Corey became Jill Storey,
and so it was that Jill Storey was
feted
by family and friends upon her return to Avonmore. Click here or
on the image at left to see all the remaining photographs taken by Gordon
Parks in Avonmore and on the set of the Dave Garroway Show
that never made it into the LIFE magazine article of November
9, 1953. |
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The
recently christened Jill Corey receives accolades in the city of Pittsburgh
and her nearby hometown of Avonmore shortly after her debut on national
television with Dave Garroway in October of 1953. Here she is with
her beloved Papa, sister Alice and Alice's husband.
Click
here or on the image at left to see much more of the festivities welcoming
home their Norma Jean Speranza, from then on to be known as Jill Corey. |
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Jill
joins Papa Speranza and her great aunt and uncle in this formal picture
setting in nearby Vandergrift, Pennsylvania on a visit home a year or so
after the beginning of her television career. Jill recalls that the
dress she is wearing in the picture is one she purchased while she was
dating Frank Sinatra. |
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Jill
returned to Avonmore in September of 1970 to attend their 7th annual Harvest
Jubilee. This tribute appeared in the commemorative booklet for the
event that year. |
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Jill
appeared at Avonmore's 11th Annual Harvest Jubilee in September 1974.
Click
here or on the image at left to see three pictures of Jill on stage
during the event. |
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This
brief history of Jill's rise to stardom appeared in the commemorative booklet
prepared for the 12th Annual Harvest Jubilee in September 1975.
Also appearing
in the commemorative booklet for the 12th Annual Harvest Jubilee in 1975
was this update on Jill's career after she came out of retirement following
the untimely death of her husband in 1969. |
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On
another visit to her hometown Jill reminisces here with brothers Dominic
(left) and Earl about the beginnings of her national career in television
as documented in that LIFE magazine cover story in 1953. |
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In
1978, Jill attended the 25th year reunion of her Bell-Avon High School
class of 1953, and as might be expected,
she was prevailed upon to sing during the festivities. Also
in attendance that year were members of the Bell-Avon class of 1958, including
another celebrity with roots in tiny Avonmore, Pennsylvania. Click
here or on the image at left to learn more. |
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During
1993, the borough of Avonmore celebrated their centennial. Jill had
agreed to appear at a fund raising event on March 13th in support of the
festivities to be held the following summer, but a late winter blizzard
completely shut down the community that weekend. Finally, on May
22nd, Jill reunited with her very first boss, Johnny Murphy and his eleven-piece
orchestra at Charlie's Danceland for a memorable evening of reminiscing
and song. Click the image to read the full story as it appeared in
the local Country Caller. |
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The
Avonmore Borough Centennial celebrations were held on Saturday, August
14, 1993, with Jill shown here in the reviewing stand. Click the
image for a larger view of the photo and caption as they appeared in the
Country Caller of August 25, 1993. |
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On
August 1, 2003, the Bell-Avon High School Class of 1953 held their 50th-year
reunion in nearby Apollo, Pennsylvania. TThe
program for the graduation ceremonies in 1953 shows Norma Jean was class
vice president and noted for her dancing prowess.
Click here or on the image at left
to see more of the program. |
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Jill
with former classmates Josie Bernabee, Margaret Stauffer, Bob Conto, Carole
Rumbaugh and Charles Bottegal at their 50-year reunion, August 1, 2003 |
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Jill's
picture, along with a brief biographical sketch, appeared in a souvenir
booklet distributed to those attending the 50th-year reunion in 2003. |
