Gloria Wood was an American singer and actress, who worked as a vocalist for various projects for Disney ranging from a chorus member in films and shorts and voicing Minnie Mouse and Suzy Sparrow on several Walt Disney programs and heading a choir for the studio in the 1950s. She also recorded for the Disneyland Records album Walt Disney presents Christmas Adventure in Disneyland in 1973.
Wood was born in Medford, Massachusetts in 1923. Her father, Robert E. Wood, worked as a radio singer in the 1920s and encouraged Gloria and her sister, Donna to take up the profession. After leaving high school, Wood joined The Horace Heidt Band before becoming a prominent member of Kay Kyer's band as a lead vocalist for tunes, like "Hey, Bellboy", "The Woody Woodpecker Song", "On a Slow Boat to China", "Saturday Date", and "Mr. Sorrow". She was also a member of The Rhythmaires vocal group, which worked with Bing Crosby for nearly ten years. She was prominently featured on Crosby's 1950 recording of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," where she supplies the voice of Rudolph.
Having a four octave vocal range, Wood was hired as a ghost singer for actresses in films, like Blues Busters (Adele Jergens), White Christmas (Vera-Ellen), River of No Return (Marilyn Monroe), and Mame (Kirby Furlong). She also appeared on camera at times in films, like Gaby, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and The Band Wagon. Her television credits included The Cara Williams Show, The Jack Benny Program, Here's Lucy, and Batman.
Finding steady work in commercials, Wood recorded more than 2,000 jingles for television and radio, such as for Rice-A-Roni and the Peter Pan peanut butter ads as the respective "Peter" and Tinker Bell. She also voiced characters for Looney Tunes shorts, such as Nelly the Singing Giraffe in Nelly's Folly, as well as The Woody Woodpecker Show, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, and Yogi's Space Race.
Wood died on March 4, 1995 from complications of diabetes.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | So Dear to My Heart | Chorus member |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | Townsfolk Chorus member |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Chorus member |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | Chorus member |
| 1953 | Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom | Suzy Sparrow |
| 1953 | Melody | Suzy Sparrow - uncredited |
| 1957 | Zorro | Singing barmaid - "Death Stacks the Deck" |
| 1961 | The Parent Trap | Voice-over for "Let's Get Together" |
| 1962 | A Symposium on Popular Songs | Singer Various characters |
