Mary Lee biography, net worth, husband, children, married

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<h2>Early Life and Family Background</h2>
<p><a href="/biography/mary-lee">Mary Lee Wooters</a> was born on October 24, 1924, in Centralia, Illinois, to Louis Ellis Wooters, a barber, and Lela Myrtle Telford. She had three sisters: Vera Mae, Dorris Lucille, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_Jean_(band)">Norma Jean</a>. Mary completed her eighth-grade education at Lincoln Elementary School in 1938. After the death of her sister Dorris Lucille, the family relocated to Ottawa, Illinois, where her father continued his work as a barber.</p>
<p>In 1939, the family moved to Los Angeles, California. There, Mary enrolled in Mar-Ken School, a private academy that catered to young performers. She graduated in 1942, a pivotal period marking the start of her professional career in entertainment.</p>

<h2>Early Singing Career and Musical Collaborations</h2>
<p>Mary Lee began singing at the age of six and often practiced with her older sister, Vera Mae, who was already performing at local events in LaSalle County, Illinois. Alongside her sisters, Mary performed at various community functions, gaining early performance experience.</p>
<p>Her professional break came in 1938 when she was discovered by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Weems">Ted Weems Orchestra</a>. Accompanied by her mother and sister, Mary toured with the orchestra for four months. During this time, she credited her mother and Vera Mae as her biggest mentors. While with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Weems">Weems</a> group, she recorded several tracks, including a duet with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmo_Tanner">Elmo Tanner</a> titled "Back to Smokey Mountain" in 1939.</p>
<p>In 1942, Mary Lee furthered her musical career by recording eight songs with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Crosby">Bob Crosby</a>’s Bob Cats, showcasing her range in swing and jazz-influenced vocal performances. A retrospective compilation released in 1998 featured her songs from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Autry">Gene Autry</a> films, such as "Sing a Song of Laughter" from Riding on a Rainbow (1941) and "Give Out with a Song" from Gaucho Serenade (1940).</p>

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<h2>Film Career and Work with Republic Pictures</h2>
<p>Mary Lee transitioned to acting in 1939, making her debut in the Warner Bros. film Nancy Drew...Reporter, in which she played Mary Nickerson and performed in a nursery rhyme medley. Later that same year, she joined Republic Pictures and appeared in South of the Border, released on December 15, 1939.</p>
<p>In 1940, she signed a five-year contract with Republic Pictures and went on to appear in nine <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Autry">Gene Autry</a> films, often portraying the younger sister of the female lead. Her final collaboration with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Autry">Autry</a> was in The Singing Hill, released on April 26, 1941. Following her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Autry">Autry</a> series, she acted in nine additional Republic feature films.</p>
<p>Mary Lee ventured into B musicals during the early 1940s. Notable among these were Shantytown (April 20, 1943), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobody's_Darling">Nobody’s Darling</a> (August 27, 1943), and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Little_Sisters">Three Little Sisters</a> (July 31, 1944). Her final motion picture appearance came in Song of Nevada, released on August 5, 1944. Afterward, she stepped away from her film career entirely.</p>

<h2>Personal Life and Legacy</h2>
<p>Mary Lee married First Sergeant Harry J. Banan of the United States Army on November 12, 1943. The couple had two children: Harry Philip and Laura Lee. Her husband passed away in 1990.</p>
<p>Mary Lee died on June 6, 1996, in Sacramento, California, at the age of 71. While documentation of her net worth remains limited, her contributions to early American cinema and popular music during the Big Band era remain noteworthy. Her achievements as a young singer and actress continue to be appreciated by film and music historians.</p>

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