Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11

-v HIS is a radio mystery story about
good-looking girl who can and does
sing like a million dollars and who
has three names, all of them her
own and none of them her husbands,
because she hasn't any husband. Almost every
one who listens In on the radio Wednesday
nights has heard Phil Carlin say, And now
Olive Palmer, our lovely prima donna, has
chosen for her first number -" and SO on.
well, Olive Palmer, which is and isn't her
name, is the leading lady Of the mystery. And
if you want the other two of her three names,
they are, first, Virginia Rea, which also is and
isn't her name, and, second, Virginia Earle
Murphy, which really is her name though few
people have known it.
Olive Palmer is the name she goes under
now. Before she was Olive Palmer she was
Virginia Rea. That name is almost pretty a
name as any one could want, but Miss Virginia
Rea changed it to Olive Palmer-a name sls-
piciouSy like the name of the soap she adver-
tiSes in her radio hour-for the two best reasons
in the world. The first one money and
the second was nice fat contract. Plenty OF
people, including women, have changed their
names lots worse for lots less. Some women
change their names for love.
And so when the soap people heard Virginia
Rea sing they were so enthusiastic about the
way her voice carried over the air, coming in
clearly and softly on even the most Anticipated
voice for their very own, and they said that
Virginia Rea had to die and Olive Palmer
had to be born.
So Virginia Rea died, as who wouldn't. 1t
wasn't her name, anyhow. Her real name
was Murphy-Virginia Earle Murphy.
Continuing the story backward, Virginia
Earle Murphy was born that way in Louisville,
Ky. Her father, j. r. Murphy was in the
wholesale business; her mother, Mrs. j. r.
Murphy, Of course was ambitious for her chill
dren and it is unwritten history in Louisville
that little Virginia Murphy herself was a
natural-born singer.
In fact, she was child prodigy That's
another surprising thing about her. Most child
prodigies die young and are forgotten. Virginia
is still living.
At five years of age, with huge pink hair
ribbon perched cockily atop her black treSses,
they say she sang solos at Christmas and Easter
in Lousville's Fourth Avenue Methodist Church.
There has been a lot of idle chatter bantered
about to the effect that the proud Murphys of
Kentucky sent their daughter to heightened
finishing school. Olive Palmer, who is purely
fictitious character, may have gone to a finishing
school in her imaginary youth, but the real
Virginia Murphy went to the Hill Street Gram
mar School in Louisville and entered Public
High School Just another of the girls.
Then, when Virginia was IL or 10, Papa Muir
ply got job IN Des Moines, Iowa, and took
his family with him. Mother Murphy like so
many other mothers, thought her daughter
could sing. Unlike so many others, Mrs. Muir
ply happened to be right. Her daughter could
sing.
In Des Moines, of course was Drake Univer-
sity, with its up and coming conservatory of
music. Virginia was put in the conservatory,
taking lessons. She became president of the
Glee Club and she took the leads in the musical
shows. On the side she was soloist in the
University Church of Christ.
Just after she was graduated from the con-
Seryatory the Drake University prima donna
still going strong under the name Of Virginia
Murphy took the step that led to her first
change Of name.
ONE day she read in the paper that William
- Wade Henshaw was planning to revive 90
operas in New York
I'm going to ask MIR. Henshaw to give me a
chance" she told her mother.
THAT long tripl" exclaimed Mrs. Rea. "You
know you hate travelling dear. And it's such
a slim chance even after you get therel"