June Pursell

Pursell had no intentions of entering show business, but after her father died, she was tasked with supporting the family. Pursell then broke her arm and performed some of her earliest gigs with her arm in a sling.{{Citation| last =Patrick| first =Corbin| year =1934| title =June Pursell, "Babe in Woods," Went Looking for Job With Arm in Sling| publisher=The Indianapolis Star| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/105282217/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1|access-date = 13 March 2023}} Pursell was initially offered $150 per week to perform and later passed an audition for the KNX radio station. While her first performance was not popular with the main KNX announcer, she received a lot of fan-mail and was hired.

Pursell's vocal talents gained recognition in the 1920s and 1930s. She was signed with NBC{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1933| title ='Honey of the Air' to Sing For Charity At Bohack Foundation| publisher=Times Union| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/577797760/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}} and was compared to Nora Bayes.{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1932| title =June Pursell To Be Heard Over NBC-KGO| publisher=HAwaii Tribune-Herald| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/555590676/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1|access-date = 13 March 2023}} She became known as "The KNX Girl" and deemed "the girl with the ballad voice".{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1929| title =June Pursell 'KNX' Girl,' To Appear Soon in Talkie| publisher=Los Angeles Evening Express| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/608477871/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}}{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1932| title =Radio Favorite| publisher=The Morning Call| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/274869965/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}}{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1929| title =June Pursell To Be Feature| publisher=Los Angeles Evening Express| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/608478031/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}}{{Citation| last =Doran| first =Dorothy| year =1932| title =Manager of Dempsey Listed for Local Microphone Talk| publisher=The Akron Beacon Journal| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/228702419/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}} Between 1925 and 1932, she recorded for both the Victor and Brunswick labels.{{cite web |title=Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine |url=https://archive.org/search?query=June+Pursell |website=archive.org |access-date=11 July 2023}} From 1929 to 1931 she sang and recorded with Earl Burtnett and his Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, and in 1932 she sang and recorded with Jack Denny and his Waldoff-Astoria Orchestra.{{cite book |last= Rust |first=Brian |author-link= |date=1979 |title=The American Dance Band Discography, 1917–1942, Volume 1 (2nd Printing)|location=New Rochelle, New York |publisher=Arlington House |isbn=9780786443192| page =217-219, 401-402}} These recordings showcased her versatile abilities as a soprano solo artist, as well as her collaborations with esteemed band leaders such as Roy Fox, Earl Burtnett, and Jack Denny.

June Pursell's soprano voice captivated audiences and earned her a place among the prominent singers of her time. Pursell also made notable appearances in two films: "The Hollywood Revue" in 1929 and "Viennese Nights" in 1930.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700730/|title=June Purcell|website=IMDb|accessdate=27 May 2023}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5G-eCQAAQBAJ&dq=June+Pursell+mary+pursell&pg=PA378 | title=Vitaphone Films: A Catalogue of the Features and Shorts | isbn=9780786446971 | last1=Liebman | first1=Roy | date=September 2, 2010 | publisher=McFarland }}{{cite book |last= Bradley |first=Edwin M. |author-link= |date=2005 |title=The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |page=388 |isbn=9780786443192}} These appearances allowed Pursell to display her talents to a wider audience.

As a songwriter, Pursell wrote several songs including "What Good Am I Without You" and "I Couldn't Love You More If I Tried", both copyrighted in 1956.{{cite journal |author= |date=1956 |title=Unpublished Music |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ry8hAQAAIAAJ&dq=June+Pursell&pg=PA663 |journal=Catalog of Copyright Entries |series=Third Series |volume=10, Part 5B |issue=1 |pages=83, 663 |access-date=2023-07-03}}

Pursell married Thomas H. Culkin in January 1952.{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1952| title =June Pursell Becomes Mrs. Thomas H. Culkin| work=The Tribune| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/528925875/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1| access-date = 13 March 2023}} Pursell's surname was often misspelled as "Purcell".{{Citation| last =| first =| year =1932| title =On The Air by The Listener| publisher=The Evening Sun| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/369497085/?terms=June%20Pursell&match=1|access-date = 13 March 2023}}

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• {{cite web |title=June Pursell |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/338627/Pursell_June |website=Discography of American Historical Recordings |publisher=UC Santa Barbara}}

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Category:1902 births

Category:American sopranos

Category:Singers from Indiana

Category:Musicians from Indianapolis

Category:20th-century American women singers

Category:20th-century American singers

Category:Year of death missing