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Star Trek Theme Vocalist Dies

More on Norman and the saga of Star Trek's original theme song may be found in the Wikipedia .

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UNREMEMBERED

A history of the famously interesting and mostly forgotten, the out of this world voice of loulie jean norman.

Posted on September 26, 2017 Updated on October 2, 2019

By Ken Zurski

Singer Loulie Jean Norman may not be a household name, but her voice is an unmistakable part of television history.  More on that in a moment. First a little background.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1913, Norman soon discovered a knack for singing. She was uniquely talented as a coloratura soprano, a vocal range most commonly suited for opera.  Unlike counterparts like stage star Maria Callas, however, Norman took her gift to radio instead.

It was the 1930’s, and radio was just starting to emerge as an entertainment force. Norman was in her twenties at the time. Her voice and beauty were being noticed. So she moved from Birmingham to New York City to jump start her career. Modeling jobs paid the bills at first, but singing was her passion.

She eventually got bit parts in singing ensembles on several musical variety shows including one with Bing Crosby who would signal her out several times for her solo passages. Norman provided studio background vocals to hitmakers like Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme and Elvis Presley.  On TV, she appeared on the Dinah Shore Show, with Dean Martin, and as a back-up on Carol Burnett’s popular variety program.

“When you sang,” a colleague once told Norman, “it was the angels [voice].”

But her most influential and unaccredited contribution is truly out of this world.

In 1964, when television producer Gene Roddenberry introduced a new space serial he asked a friend Jerry Goldsmith to write the theme music. Goldsmith was too busy but enlisted fellow composer and collaborator Alexander Courage, who was said to be no fan of the science fiction genre, but drew inspiration from a song he heard on the radio titled “Beyond the Blue Horizon, ” which was featured in the 1930 movie “Monte Carlo” and sung by actress Jeannette McDonald, a soprano.

Courage wrote the theme for Star Trek  the TV series.

Roddenberry heard the music and for reasons some explain were financially motivated, wrote lyrics for the tune.  “Hey, I have to get some money somewhere,” Roddenberry reportedly said.  “I’m sure not going to get it out of the profits of  Star Trek. ”

In 1999, Snopes.com  confirmed there were Star Trek lyrics and debunked the theory that they (unearthed here) were ever used in the TV show’s theme.

Beyond The rim of the star-light My love Is wand’ring in star-flight I know He’ll find in star-clustered reaches Love, Strange love a star woman teaches. I know His journey ends never His star trek Will go on forever. But tell him While he wanders his starry sea Remember, remember me.

Courage was surprised – and perhaps, a bit offended – by Roddenberry’s lyrical contribution. He had included a voice in his recording, but no words. In the end, as Snopes reported, the lyrics were never used.

The choice of a singer was another matter. Courage picked someone similar to MacDonald, who ironically died the year the theme was written. It was Loulie Jean Norman. At the time, Norman was known for her studio work. Plus, she wasn’t a big enough star to turn down such an offer. Norman had the range Courage needed to make the tune work.

Star Trek: The Original Series  ran for  three seasons and 79 episodes. In the third and final year, despite a growing fan base, Roddenberry was hopelessly fighting low ratings, high production costs, and threats from the network to cancel.

He reportedly couldn’t pay Norman her royalty cut that year.

So after the second season, the theme was re-recording without the vocals.

Norman continued to do studio work, mostly backing vocals for songs like The Tokens version of  The Lion Sleeps Tonight.   The papers called Norman “the invisible soprano” for the work behind the scenes. “You’ve heard the voice, even if you’ve never heard the name.”

Even though fame eluded her, Norman acknowledged she would have been uncomfortable with it. “The reason why I didn’t care about being a star is because I saw what happened to stars,” she said in 1995. “I was close enough to see that they were not very happy.”

Norman died in August of 2005 at the age of 92.

Her obituary mentioned that unrecognized role.

“A voice heard around the world,” it read, “in the wordless, Star Trek theme.

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This entry was posted in History , unrememebred history and tagged Alexander Courage , American history , Gene Roddenberry , History , Louile Jean Norman , Star Trek history , Star Trek music history , Star Trek Theme , Star Trek: The Original series , television history , Unremembered .

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Loulie Jean Norman

Norman was born on March 12, 1913, in Birmingham , Jefferson County , the daughter of Edward and Rebecca Norman; she had three brothers and a younger sister. As a student at Phillips High School, her high clear soprano voice drew favorable attention in a presentation of Victor Herbert’s operetta Naughty Marietta (1910). At Birmingham-Southern College from 1931 until her graduation in 1933, Norman was active in all its musical organizations, often as an officer. She also formed a quartet called The Blue Shadows, which included future composer Hugh Martin , and staged the musical Of Thee I Sing (1931). During her time in Birmingham, Norman performed in numerous local clubs, on radio shows on WAPI, and in the Birmingham Little Theater.

Around 1936, she moved to New York City, where she became a model and a singer on radio shows. She started her professional career singing with Mel Tormé and his Mel-Tones, an early jazz-influenced vocal ensemble. She married Norman Henry Price, a decorated World War II pilot, sometime in the late 1940s, and the couple would have four children. The family moved to Panama City, Florida, where Price reportedly taught flying to famed actor Clark Gable, and Gable would become a life-long friend of the family and aid in Norman’s return to performing. The Prices soon moved to Los Angeles, and Norman resumed her entertainment career as a studio singer, although on a more limited basis so that she could be home with her family.

Norman’s recording experience was extensive, and as a busy session singer in Hollywood, her impressive vocal range filled a need for many composers and producers. She provided vocal backup for the soundtrack of the Irving Berlin film Easter Parade (1948) and performed as a background singer in Brigadoon (1954) and The Prodigal (1955). Perhaps nowhere is Norman’s remarkable vocal range more evident than her rendition of “Vocalize,” performing as the voice double for Jane Powell in the film Athena (1954). She gained her greatest renown, however, as a voice double for Diahann Carroll in Otto Preminger’s 1959 film adaptation of the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, especially for her rendition of “Summertime.” The film won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy for its soundtrack. She often appeared with comedic orchestra leader Spike Jones and His City Slickers and sang on his studio album The Wonderful World of Hari Kari (1960).

Norman was one of the female singers who accompanied Elvis Presley in the soundtrack session of “Moonlight Swim” from Blue Hawaii (1961), an album that repeatedly occupied the top spot on Billboard magazine’s Top Pop LPs chart. She served as a voice double for Juliet Prowse in another top Presley film, G. I. Blues (1960), and for Stella Stevens in the John Cassavetes film Too Late for Blues (1961). Norman provided the voice accompaniment for “The Princess Waltz” in the 1960 film Cinderfella with comedian Jerry Lewis. There is some debate about whether Norman provided the voice accompaniment for the smash hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (1961) by The Tokens. Family members claim it was Norman, but independent sources recognize New York opera soloist Anita Darian. Both had similar high-pitched soprano voices.

Norman’s most culturally recognizable performance is the haunting vocal track she provided for the theme to the original Star Trek television series that ran from 1966 to 1969. She provided vocal work, usually uncredited, for numerous animated movies, such as the Academy Award-winning Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (1953), and for the Disney songs “Melody” (1953) and “Country Bear Jamboree” (1972), and she can be heard still as the sound of the eerie ghost at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Her performances as one of the original Ray Conniff Singers, whose unique renditions of traditional melodies that brought national acclaim from 1959 to 1971, are her most enduring and unheralded legacy. She sang with various other groups, including the all-female G-6 ensemble and the Ralph Brewster Singers. In 1980, at age 67, Norman sang the soprano solo in “The Future: Sound Without Words” for Frank Sinatra’s album, Trilogy: Past Present Future (Reprise).

Loulie Jean Norman died on August 2, 2005, at her home in Studio City, California, at age 92. By virtue of her personality, clear and flawless voice, and connections, she was one of Hollywood’s most noted vocalists and sopranos, although she never became well known because so much of her work was behind the scenes. A close friendship with former Birmingham-Southern classmate Hugh Martin, who facilitated her career and even composed some of her songs, enabled her to perform in so many productions for so long. Norman was not only widely respected as a mentor for younger singers but for her love of life, family, and friends, which always exceeded her ambition to become a major Hollywood star.

Additional Resources

Crider, Beverly. Legends and Lore of Birmingham and Central Alabama. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2014.

Martin, Hugh. High Martin, The Boy Next Door . Encinitas, CA: Trolley Press, 2010.

“Price, Loulie Jean Norman.” Los Angeles Times , August 14, 2005.

External Links

• Loulie Jean Norman Discography

John D. Fair University of Texas

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A classical soprano hits the right notes with the Star Trek: The Original Series theme

By rachel carrington | sep 13, 2020.

The Star Trek: The Original Series theme is known worldwide

This couldn’t be any more evident than when Spanish Soprano Laura Ruhí Vidal appeared in London with the Rainer Hersch Orkestra (yes, that is the correct spelling). Like any good singer will do, Vidal wanted to warm up prior to her full performance, and Hersch was happy to oblige her after a bit of humor. The classical soprano gave her rendition of the theme for Star Trek: The Original Series, and it was pitch perfect.

Vidal’s warm-up didn’t just impress the crowd as the video, which was posted on May 15th, now has 1.7 million views, 59,000 likes, and over 2,700 comments. And the only criticism is for the title of the video as Vidal’s piece is classified as a parody when, in all actuality, it’s an homage. As one Star Trek fan wrote, it’s  “the Trekkie national anthem.”  And her Vulcan greeting at the end of the song just added to the pure perfection of the moment.

The theme to Star Trek: The Original Series is, perhaps, the most well-known, despite the many years and series that followed. Soprano Loulie Jean Norman voiced the wordless melody line which was used for most of the first two seasons. The first few episodes of the series did not use any vocals, and Norman’s vocals were dropped after the second season.

In 2006, CBS began airing a remastered version of the series which included a re-recording  of the the theme. Norman’s vocals were replaced by Elin Carlson who said it was a dream come true for her as she was a lifelong Star Trek fan.  She also said the style and feel of the original theme was “authentically reproduced.” Though the original theme will always have first place in our hearts, both Carlson and Vidal do a wonderful job of recreating the beginning to a series that means the world to us.

Next. The best words of wisdom from the women of Star Trek. dark

How the Original ‘Star Trek’ Theme Landed in the ‘Discovery’ Finale

"It just seemed like the right thing to do," says composer Jeff Russo.

By Jon Burlingame

Jon Burlingame

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( Note: Spoilers ahead. ) The season-finale cliffhanger of “ Star Trek : Discovery,” which aired Sunday on CBS All Access , contained a startling revelation: the first sight of the USS Enterprise and a reference to “Captain Pike” – the immediate predecessor of the more famous Captain James T. Kirk of the original “Star Trek” series.

What’s more, it was accompanied by the right music: Alexander Courage’s original “Star Trek” fanfare, followed by a stunning new recording of Courage’s theme for the 1966-69 series, whetting audience appetites for more of the Enterprise in season 2 of “Discovery.”

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” says composer Jeff Russo of invoking the famous eight-note “Trek” fanfare (which he also excerpts in his own “Discovery” series theme). “It is the Enterprise, so I must play the Enterprise’s theme.”

The bigger surprise was the fresh take on Courage’s ’60s “Trek” theme that played under the end credits, performed by a 74-piece orchestra – more than twice the 29 musicians that Courage had when he first recorded the “Star Trek” theme in 1965.

Popular on Variety

Like the original, it featured a wordless soprano voice. And that, in fact, is how Russo came to re-record that iconic piece of music. Late last year, studio singer Ayana Haviv was at Russo’s studio to record arias from the Kasseelian opera that figures in Episodes 12 and 13. In a moment of inspiration, he asked her to sing the famous vocal part of the ’60s theme.

“I filmed it on my iPhone,” Russo tells Variety . “I thought it sounded great, so I just texted that to [executive producer] Alex Kurtzman with a note like ‘Isn’t this the coolest thing?’ He immediately texted me back,” Russo adds, suggesting that the composer record the entire piece as the end-credits music for the season finale.

So Russo set out to create “an updated, modernized version of the original,” with Haviv singing the solo part.

Haviv called it “an amazing thrill. You can’t help having heard [the original] a million times,” she adds. “It’s a part of pop culture and one of the great TV themes. I felt a responsibility to be true to that iconic ’60s feel. My training is classical voice [but] you have to color it in a certain way to make it sound like that ’60s style.”

Haviv had sung the TV theme before, but as part of a chorus on the film “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and not the solo.

Variety was on hand for the Jan. 15 recording at the Warner Bros. scoring stage, and the excitement in the room was palpable. After a take of the classic Courage fanfare, Russo told the musicians, “That never gets old. Ever.” Applause in the recording booth followed several takes of the theme.

“Conducting a pretty large orchestra in the music of one of my favorite shows as a kid was like a dream literally coming true,” he said in an interview after the session. “It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had on the podium.”

Kurtzman notes that scoring with a full orchestra was always the plan with “ Star Trek: Discovery .” “We wanted it to feel epic,” he says. He has insisted on real themes, with recognizable melodies, throughout the season: “Whether or not you’re totally conscious of those themes, it affects your emotional reaction to the storytelling. In a way, it’s another part of the screenwriting process.”

Russo – who also scores “Legion,” “Altered Carbon,” “Counterpart” and won an Emmy for “Fargo” – is aware of the stellar company he is now in, having joined the ranks of Oscar winners Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Leonard Rosenman and Michael Giacchino, and Emmy winners Courage, Gerald Fried, Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chattaway, all of whom have contributed to “Star Trek” music over the decades.

“It’s terrifying and yet unbelievable to me,” he says, “to be counted among the musical contributors to a franchise that includes those people.”

Kurtzman confirmed that Russo, who scored all of the first season, will be back on musical chores for the second season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” which begins shooting in April.

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Loulie Jean Norman

Loulie Jean Norman Price (born March 12 , 1913 in Birmingham ; died August 2 , 2005 in Studio City, California) was a coloratura soprano who worked with famed arranger Gordon Jenkins.

Norman was one of five siblings born to Edward and Rebecca Norman of Birmingham, and attended Phillips High School . Her voice was showcased in a high school production of "Naughty Marietta". At Birmingham-Southern College she was active in leading several performance groups, staging a production of "Of Thee I Sing" and founding the Blue Shadows quartet with Hugh Martin . She also regularly appeared at Birmingham Little Theater , on WAPI-AM , and at supper clubs. She graduated from Birmingham-Southern in 1933 .

Norman moved New York City in the mid 1930s to pursue a career as a radio singer and model. She performed with Mel Tormé's Mel Tones in the 1940s. She married Norman Henry Price after World War II and moved with him to Panama City, Florida where he operated a flight school. The couple had four children, Patricia, Pamela, Priscilla, and Norman Jr. The family later relocated to Los Angeles, California where, with the help of one of Price's students, Clark Gable, she resumed professional singing.

Norman was regularly brought in as a back-up singer for artists including Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini, Ray Charles, Dean Martin, Frankie Lane, Bing Crosby, Sam Cooke, and Elvis Presley, and she was a sometime member of several groups, including the Ray Conniff Singers, G-6, and the Ralph Brewster Singers.

Norman dubbed the singing voice for Jane Powell in the 1954 film Athena', for Diahann Carroll in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess , for Juliet Prowse in the 1960 Elvis Presley film G. I. Blues , and for Stella Stevens in John Cassavetes' 1961 film Too Late for Blues.

Norman had a penchant for comedy songs. She often joined Spike Jones and His City Slickers on stage and in the studio. She appeared on several Paul Frees novelty songs, playing as "Vampira" to his "Dracula," and she contributed to Jerry Lewis' 1960 film Cinderfella . She made frequent guest appearances on Dean Martin Show, the Carol Burnett Show, and the Dinah Shore Show.

and sang backup vocals on Elvis Presley's "Moonlight Swim" ( 1961 ). According to her family, hers was the soprano voice on the Tokens' 1961 hit song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Other sources credit Anita Darian. She is most known today, however, as the vocalist of the 1966 Star Trek theme, and as the "Crazy Soprano Ghost" in Disney's "Haunted Mansion" theme park attractions.

Norman died in 2005 at her home in Studio City, California. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

• "Loulie Jean Norman Price" obituary (August 14, 2005) The Los Angeles Times
• Fair, John D. (July 7, 2023) " Loulie Jean Norman ." Encyclopedia of Alabama - accessed September 8, 2023

External links

• Loulie Jean Norman Price memorial site
• audio tribute at ABC.net.au
• Loulie Jean Norman at discogs.com
• Loulie Jean Price at Findagrave.com
• 1913 births
• 2005 deaths
• Phillips graduates
• Birmingham-Southern alumni
• Opera singers

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Russell Watson

• View history

Russell Watson ( born 24 November 1966 ; age 57) is an English vocalist and tenor who sang the opening theme song from Star Trek: Enterprise entitled " Where My Heart Will Take Me ", which was originally recorded as "Faith of the Heart" by Rod Stewart for the film Patch Adams . The song was remixed with a faster beat for Enterprise 's third season .

Hailing from Salford, Greater Manchester, England, Watson initially was not seeking a career as a professional singer. Working as a bolt-cutter in Manchester, Watson began accepting singing engagements to earn extra money. His reputation and popularity increased through these engagements, ultimately leading to his being chosen to sing at the Rugby Challenge Cup final in Wembley Stadium in 1999. His performance there was so successful that he was later invited to sing at the UEFA Champions League soccer final in Barcelona. Following this, his career took off, and his first album – entitled The Voice – followed in 2001. Both that album and his next, 2002's Encore , won Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in 2001 and 2002, respectively.

Watson recently took part in the BBC reality series Just the Two of Us , in which British celebrities were paired up with professional singers (including Watson) for a duet-singer showdown. Watson was paired with actress Sian Reeves and was actually a late arrival, having replaced singer Rick Astley after the latter abandoned the show.

In 2006 Watson was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, and underwent an emergency operation to remove it on 24 September 2006. [1] On 24 October 2007 a regrowth of the tumor was discovered, and he had a second round of emergency surgery. [2] On 4 February 2008 Watson announced that he was soon to complete a five-week course of radiotherapy, writing on his official blog that he had suffered draining side-effects but was "hanging in there." He also added that feared damage to his voice had not occurred. [3]

Following his recovery, in the summer of 2008 Watson served as a panel judge on the BBC reality TV singing contest Last Choir Standing in the UK. [4]

External links [ ]

• Russell-Watson.com – official site
• Russell Watson at Wikipedia
• Russell Watson at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi There! (Freestyle)

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Hi There! (Freestyle)

Constructor: Bruce Haight

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• ATE (24A: Had some kedjenou) Kedjenou is a slow-cooked chicken and vegetable stew in West African cuisine. This spicy stew, which is cooked in a sealed terra cotta pot, is a traditional dish of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The word kedjenou comes from the Baoulé language (spoken in central and southern parts of Côte d'Ivoire), and means "to move or shake." This is a reference to the practice of occasionally shaking the pot during the cooking process in order to distribute ingredients.
• COOK (73A: Whip up some boliche, say) Boliche is a Cuban-style stuffed beef roast. The roast is stuffed with ham or chorizo, marinated with citrus and seasonings, seared, and then simmered with onions and potatoes.
• ERIN (60D: Journalist/activist Reed) ERIN Reed is a journalist and LGBTQ+ activist. She focuses on legislation around the world that impacts LGBTQ+ people. She states on her website, "I am here so that we all can achieve liberation and a better future. Let's do that together."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

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• ALI (23A: "Moonlight" actor Mahershala) Moonlight  is a 2016 movie based on an unpublished semi-autobiographical play by Tarell Alvin McCraney titled  In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue . The film looks at the themes of sexuality and masculinity while telling the story of its main character through childhood, adolescence, and young adult life. Mahershala ALI portrays Juan, a drug dealer who becomes a father figure to the main character. Moonlight  won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Mahershala ALI won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
• GIFT TAGS (27A: Items on presents that say "To:" and "From:") and TAPED (38A: Sealed, like a present) I appreciate the choice of referencing a present in the clue for TAPED, to tie in with the clue for GIFT TAGS.
• MELD (43A: Vulcan mind ___ (telepathic link in "Star Trek")) The Vulcan mind MELD was introduced in the ninth episode (titled "Dagger of the Mind") of the TV series Star Trek . In the episode, Mr. Spock, who is half-Vulcan and half-human, performs a mind MELD with someone in order to get the true story about what has happened to that person. In subsequent Star Trek episodes, the Vulcan mind MELD was used by Mr. Spock and other Vulcans, and was sometimes used to erase or restore memories.
• CAIRO (44A: Capital near the Great Sphinx) A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion. The Great Sphinx is a statue located in Giza, Egypt. It is one of the oldest known sculptures in Egypt, dating to the 2500s BCE. Giza is located across the Nile River from CAIRO, the capital of Egypt.
• DUA (55A: "Houdini" singer ___ Lipa) "Houdini" is a 2023 song by DUA Lipa from her third studio album, Radical Optimism . "I'm not here for long / Catch me or I go Houdini..."
• TOP HAT (4D: Headwear for Zatanna or Mr. Peanut) Zatanna is a DC comics character. She is a magician (a nice tie-in with the mention of Houdini in the DUA clue), and is a homo magi (a sub-race of humans with magical abilities). Zatanna first appeared in the DC comic Hawkman #4, in 1964. Mr Peanut is the TOP HAT-wearing, monocled mascot of  Planters. He made his first appearance in 1916.
• OPAL (11D: "Fire" or "matrix" gem) Fire OPAL is a variety of the gem that has a bright yellow, orange, or red color. Matrix OPAL refers to OPAL that has formed within the pores or holes of another type of rock.
• ETTA (21D: "At Last" singer James) ETTA James (1938-2012) is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Grammy Hall of Fame. She recorded "At Last" in 1960 as the title track for her debut album. Her recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
• INCAN (28D: Like Machu Picchu) Machu Picchu is one of the most well-known examples of INCAN architecture. Located in the Andes mountains in southern Peru, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century citadel most likely constructed as an estate of Pachacuti, an INCAN emperor.
• ERIE (40D: The "E" of HOMES) HOMES is a mnemonic that is useful for remembering the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, ERIE, and Superior. This is the first time we have seen our crossword-friend ERIE this month, and amazingly, it's the first time we've seen ERIE since March 23 .
• NBA DRAFT (42D: Event where the Pacers and Pelicans pick players) Fun alliteration here with "Pacers ... Pelicans pick players." The Indiana Pacers and the New Orleans Pelicans are NBA teams. The NBA DRAFT dates back to 1947, and takes place during the NBA's off-season, generally near the end of June.
• DOUBT (46A: "When in ___, throw it out" (food safety motto))
• IDEA (71A: "I don't have the faintest ___!")
• BANANA PEEL (10D: A slapstick comedian might slip on one)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless puzzle. Edited to add: An astute reader noticed (Thanks, Leslie!) that although this is a themeless puzzle, there's a bit of a mini-theme in that the answers MO THER E ARTH and ON THE RE CORD both contain the word THERE. Oh, HI THERE!

• MOTHER EARTH (20A: Personification of nature)
• ON THE RECORD (58A: How public statements are made)

Not all crossword venues use titles, but I'm glad that USA TODAY does. I think titles add a lot to the personality of a puzzle. Today I feel as if the puzzle is greeting me. "Hi there to you, too, puzzle!" Also, themeless puzzles that have a bit of a mini-theme are my favorite types of themeless puzzles. Thank you, Bruce, for this entertaining puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers

The Masked Singer’s Poodle Moth Gets Real About The Stigma Of Actors Pursuing Singing Careers

They have a point.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 11's "Quarter Finals: Final Four." Read at your own risk!

The Masked Singer 's quarter-finals concluded, and this is always the part where the season gets difficult. Poodle Moth didn't exactly deserve to go home, but given the stage of the competition, it's inevitable someone talented is bound to. The fuzzy insect was unmasked, and surprise, it was actress Chrissy Metz , who got real with CinemaBlend about the stigma surrounding actors getting into music.

One year after desperately missing This Is Us , the actress continues to move onward and upward into new roles, and taking on new singing adventures. Metz has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere since the end of her NBC series, but there are still people who don't know she's as passionate about music as she is acting. CinemaBlend was fortunate to spend some time talking to her about singing, and her goal as she continues to perform alongside her acting career:

I want people to appreciate something I love so much which is music and my voice and to also just be accepted and liked for like who I am and not for portraying a character. That is something that is also important to me. Because I love music so much and it means so much to me. I wanna impart that on other people, and you never really know if that's gonna happen. You just sort of try to stay authentic and hope it does and do it because you love doing it, and then the people will find you.

Chrissy Metz's music is out on every major streaming platform and she has songs she intends to release down the road. Perhaps those who only knew her from the This Is Us cast or other roles will check it out and hear the voice that I think legitimately could've won The Masked Singer .

Of course, some readers may not take Chrissy Metz as seriously as a singer they do for her as an actor, which is a strange phenomenon she addressed. Metz, who will join the upcoming Starz drama The Hunting Wives , talked about the truth that audiences tend to have a bias when it comes to famous actors and singing :

There's this sort of stigma unfortunately that, like, if you're an actor, like you can't be a singer too. But it's interesting because there are singers who come into acting and they're taken, I think, a little more seriously. And I'm like, why isn't that the same way the other way? So, regardless I'm gonna keep writing music and singing because I just love it. Like, I can't help it.

The actress' statement felt relevant, considering I had only recently talked to Corey Feldman , who talked about the eye-opening experience he had as The Seal . Feldman felt comments about his singing were kinder when people weren't aware it was him, which could factor into what Metz says above. It's also true there are actors like Jared Leto and Will Smith who started careers in music but, for some reason, aren't stigmatized much as the other way around.

While Chrissy Metz's singing journey will continue elsewhere, The Masked Singer still has to crown a winner for Season 11. While I originally noted that there wasn't a clear frontrunner, which created a major problem for the season , I've recently honed in on Gumball being the favorite to win. My second choice was The Beets , but since they were unmasked and revealed as American idol pals Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken , I'm back on Team Gumball!

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The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 11 is quickly winding down, so be sure to get current and prepare for what should be an exciting finale.

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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‘The Masked Singer’: Poodle Moth on Music Being Her First Love & Pressure of Performances

Spoiler Alert

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for  The Masked Singer Season 11 Episode 10 “Quarter Finals: Final Four.”]

And then there were three.

The Masked Singer is getting closer and closer to naming another winner, with Clock, Goldfish, Gumball, and Poodle Moth competing in the quarterfinals. Sadly, one had to go home, and the celebrity in the Poodle Moth costume was none other than  This Is Us star and singer Chrissy Metz .

Below, Metz talks about her time on the show.

What made you say yes to doing The Masked Singer ? Did you have any hesitations?

Chrissy Metz: Yeah, of course. First of all, it’s hard enough to sing without a costume on, and then the lights and the pressure and the audience and the judges… Music is my first love. So it was something that I wanted to do and I love to do, but I was like, can I do it? I don’t know if I can do it.

What went into your song choices?

We were very collaborative in the way that we chose the songs. So many songs that I wanted to sing were already sung in previous seasons, but it was really just songs that sort of meant something to me or that I really loved or they were nostalgic and we just sort of went from there. And then of course you have to consider the themes and what the night calls for. So yeah, it was between what I liked, what felt right, and what was within the theme.

Which was your favorite to perform?

I think my favorite was “The House That Built Me,” and in hindsight, I’m like, “Oh, yeah, it was fun.” But in the moment, I’m like, “Just keep standing, Chrissy. Just keep standing.” Because I don’t think people realize until you’re in it all the things that go into it. And so I was like, “Just don’t fall on your face.”

The panel rang the Keep It on Bell for you.

I was like, oh no, what’s going to happen? And the suspense, I mean, we don’t know what’s going to happen. You want to continue on, and you’re like, “Well, I’ve made it this far. I don’t want to go home now.” So yeah, that was very exciting, and thank goodness!

Talk about the panelists’ guesses. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg did guess you.

Yeah, I was a judge on the show, and so as a person who loves music, I remember I could hear voices and I was like, I think I know who that is. And you swear you know who it is, and you’re like, oh, wait, it wasn’t, and then sometimes you’re spot on. Your intuition is just so right. And so, yeah, it was kind of crazy that she guessed me and then trying to act as if nothing has been guessed. But I love all those judges, and so I was always so curious as to how the reaction was going to be, and fingers crossed that it was fun and exciting or moving for them. But yeah, I was very surprised that she got it. I guess maybe not surprised, but surprised.

So had you come in this expecting anyone from the panel to figure you out?

No. You know what, maybe Rita or Robin, because they’re musicians and they’re artists and singers and their ears are sort of very attuned. But I try to go into everything with no expectations because it’s a lot of pressure.

How Miss Cleocatra's Friends Convinced Her to Do 'Masked Singer'

Had you been approached about doing  The Masked Singer before and scheduling didn’t work out?

Exactly, yeah. There were just times that I was like, oh my goodness. I gratefully was going from job to job. And so after the show wrapped, I was like, okay, I actually have a break in time, and I guess now is a better time as any.

Have you been hearing from anyone—friends, family, co-stars—over the past weeks who figured out it was you?

I got so many messages. Family and friends were like, “Were you on The Masked Singer ? You didn’t tell me.” I’m like, “First of all, it’s not me. Second of all, if I was, I’m not going to tell you.” Definitely people were definitely reaching out. It’s interesting. I don’t think that I have a very distinct voice, and people are still learning that I’m a singer, and so I was like, oh, no, they’re not going to guess it. And there were a lot of people who were adamant, like, “I know it’s you.”

What are you going to take away from the entire experience?

I always try to challenge myself. I’m like, if I’m scared to do something, if it’s uncomfortable, I should try it. I certainly was uncomfortable and I certainly was challenged and I survived. I’m alive. And it was honestly a lot of fun just to challenge yourself and that when we think we’re not capable of something or we’re not good enough or worthy, any of those things, it’s like, well, you don’t really know until you do it. I would much rather have done something and regretted it than not have tried. That is always sort of affirmed every time I do something that is a little scary.

And you have new music coming out, which I have to say I’m very excited to hear.

Oh, thank you. Yeah, I’m very excited about it. For me, playing a character is very different than showing my heart and soul as a singer and as a person. So I’m always a little timid, a little nervous about it, but they’re just stories of love and loss and life’s lessons. I think everybody can relate to that. And yeah, I’m excited to put out in the world.

And then I’m also looking forward to seeing you on TV again in The Hunting Wives .

I know. I’m very excited. It’s been so fun. It’s been so good. The cast is incredible. The show’s so juicy. I’m very excited. I think people were really going to be into it.

The Masked Singer , Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox

The Masked Singer where to stream

The Hunting Wives

The masked singer, chrissy metz.