Shirley Jones

The Shirley Mae Jones story is the quintessential ‘American Cinderella Dream’. Shirley was born March 31, 1934 in Chareroi, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Paul and Marjorie Jones named their only child after Shirley Temple. Paul Jones took over the responsibility of running the Jones Brewery founded by Shirley’s grandfather in nearby Smithton. Shirley had a normal, carefree childhood in this quiet, small town. However, she was already showing signs of extraordinary talent by the age of six, when she became the youngest member of her church choir.
Immediately following her graduation from South Huntington High School, Shirley was spotted by a scout photographer from the coveted Miss Pittsburgh Beauty Pageant. Shirley Mae would zoom by 43 other anxious entries to be named Pittsburgh’s crowned princess. Shirley went on to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant. She became the first runner up and was awarded a scholarship to the famed Pittsburgh pageant.
Following her apprenticeship at the playhouse, Shirley borrowed a mere $160 from her father to take on the big apple, promising to return home when the money was gone. Smithton never saw that return. Incredibly, America’s number one musical show master would have Paul Levinton Jones’ little girl sign to an exclusive personal contract before the month and only $100 were gone. Shirley learned that replacement try-outs for chorus of “South Pacific” were underway at the St. James Theater and decided that one would be as right as any for her first professional audition. It was Richard Rogers, in a rare visit to a chorus audition, asking if Miss Jones would be “so kind as to wait 20 minutes to sing for his associate, Mr. Oscar Hammerstein. “ She waited and sang, and the stage lit up R&H found themselves and American Gem. For Shirley Jones, the struggle was over.

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