SHIRLEY JONES 
Long before The Partridge Family, Jones had already achieved fame as a singer and actress.  She starred in many films, including the highly successful musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, April Love and The Music Man, in which she often embodied or represented wholesome beauty and kindness of character.  In a rare "naughty girl" role, she won an Oscar as a prostitute corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him in Elmer Gantry.

Although best known for her movie and television roles, Shirley has an impressive stage résumé, including the musical Maggie Flynn on Broadway and a stellar turn in a rare revival of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1983.  In 2004, Shirley returned to Broadway in a revival of 42nd Street, portraying diva "Dorothy Brock", opposite her son, Patrick Cassidy, the first known time a mother and son starred together on Broadway.  In July 2005, Shirley revisited the musical Carousel onstage in Massachusetts portraying Cousin Nettie.  In June of 2007 she starrs in the stage production of Oklahoma! with the Civic Light Opera in Pittsburg, PA.  Shirley continues to appear in venues nationwide, in concert and in speaking engagements.

In July 2006, Jones received an Emmy nomination for her supporting performance in the TV film "Hidden Places". Shirley is also nominated for a SAG award for the same film.

Shirley Mae Jones was born in the small town of Charleroi, PA.  The only child of Paul and Marjorie Jones who named their daughter after Shirley Temple.  At the age of six she was the youngest member of the Methodist Church Choir.  Recognizing her gifted and natural singing ability, Paul and Marjorie took their daughter to see Ralph Lewando, one of Pittsburgh's top vocal coaches. 

After graduating from South Huntingdon High in 1952, Shirley was spotted by a scout photographer for The 1952 Miss Pittsburgh Pageant.  Shirley entered the contest and won.  She then went on to compete for the title of Miss Pennsylvania, this time coming in as first runner up. The prize was a two year scholarship to the drama school at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. 

Shirley had planned to go on to college following her apprenticeship at the Playhouse. Fortunately,  she took a fateful trip to New York City in the summer of 1953.  She was definitely in the right place at the right time. Rodgers and Hammerstein had been searching and auditioning from coast to coast.  They wanted just the right fresh new face to play the role of Laurey Williams in their first wide screen motion picture adaptation of their hit musical OKLAHOMA!

When Shirley Jones walked into an open-call-audition to try out for a chorus part in their Broadway musical "South Pacific" the search was over..