Anona Winn

Australian singer (soprano), stage, radio & film actress, radio host, song writer (b. January 5th, 1904 in Sydney, Australia - d. February 2nd, 1994 in Bournemouth, England). Anona Winn studied piano in her youth, and later won a Melba Scholarship to study opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music. She decided against a “serious” music career, however, and after working briefly as a journalist turned to the vaudeville stage in 1925 – appearing on both the Tivoli and Fullers‘ vaudeville circuits (as Anona Wynn). She moved to England in 1927, establishing a career on the stage (in musical comedy, operetta, pantomime and music hall), in radio, film and television and also as a recording artist. Winn was perhaps best known in the UK for her involvement in such BBC radio programmes as Just a Minute, Variety Bandbox, Twenty Questions and Petticoat Lane. In 1933 Winn sang in Britain’s first television revue – backed by a chorus line of the Paramount Victoria Girls. Her one film role was "On the Air" (1934). Winn’s sound recordings (for HMV, Decca and Columbia) included original compositions like ‘What More Can I Ask’ (a hit in 1934). She also contributed lyrics to the 1933 film "My Lucky Star" (starring Oscar Asche).