Adrienne Barbeau

Although perhaps best known to television viewers for her roles on several television shows and made-for-TV movies, as well as turns in big screen features, Adrienne Barbeau has been singing since the beginning of her career in the early 1960s. Born on June 11, 1945 in Sacramento, California, Barbeau got a start performing with the San Jose Civic Light Opera. Her singing took Barbeau to South East Asia, where she performed on army bases throughout the region in the early ‘60s, before she returned to the States. She made her Broadway debut in a production of Fiddler On The Roof, but it was her portrayal of Rizzo in the original version of Grease that was a star-making vehicle, earning the actress a Tony Award nomination and a spot on the cast recording. In the early ‘70s, Barbeau was seen weekly in the highly-rated television series Maude, which led to opportunities in film. During the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Barbeau starred in successful Hollywood blockbusters like The Fog (1979), Escape From New York (1981), Creep Show (1982), and Swamp Thing (1982) (all but the latter directed by her then-husband, John Carpenter). She would remain busy throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s with more television, film, and stage work, including a recurring role on the hit series The Drew Carey Show. In 1997, the versatile Barbeau finally recorded a full album of material, drawing on rock, pop, blues, and adult contemporary. The self-titled disc garnered Barbeau solid reviews from critics and fans alike. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide