- Born
- Died
- Singer and songwriter, the younger sister of actress Ann Sothern. Bonnie was tutored in the art of writing lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and showed such remarkable talent that she later made career-boosting impressions on famous composers Vernon Duke and Jerome Kern. She eventually wrote songs for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, the Dorseys and Benny Goodman.
During the 1940s, she sang with the Artie Shaw orchestra and the band of her then husband, trombonist Jack Jenney for whom she also arranged. Among her compositions are 'Sandman' (with Ralph Freed), 'Cuban Boogie Woogie' (with 'Charles LaVere'), 'This Time the Dream's on Me' (for Artie Shaw) and Edgar De Lange). The latter was a homage to Jenney who had died unexpectedly. Following the war years, Bonnie became involved with the Armed Forces Radio and wrote the theme music for The Ann Sothern Show (1958). In the late 1950s, she formed an advertising company in New York, turning out jingles which she wrote and performed. Her second husband, Russ Case, was a trumpet player and bandleader with whose orchestra she successfully revived many of her earlier compositions.- IMDb Mini Biography By: I.S.Mowis
- SpouseJack Jenney (his death)
- Variety, November 10, 1937: Bonnie Lake is doing the lyrics for songs in the new Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy picture, 'Swiss Cheese,' at Hal Roach studio. [Title was changed to "Swiss Miss" (1938)].
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