born Frances Ethel Gumm in Minnesota, USA. She came to London in 1951, and in 1957 for a season at the Dominion, and again in 1960. Her last visit was in 1968 to appear at the Talk of the Town (now the Hippodrome Casino) and married her fifth husband, Mickey Deans, at Chelsea Registry Office on 15 March 1969. She was troubled, personally and financially and her health was not good, as is obvious in the recordings of her performance at the Talk of the Town. Her final performance was at the Falkoner Centre, Frederiksberg, Denmark, on March 25 (no recording, we believe). Died of an accidental overdose at her rented home, 4 Cadogan Lane. Another Nickel in the Machine covers this sad period.
2019: The Telegraph reports that this house, fallen into disrepair, is to be demolished. For about 20 years English Heritage has been refused permission for a blue plaque on the house by the owners who did not want their house to be associated with tragedy. Google Maps Streetview, Dec 2017, shows only a shrouded building but CivilianGloabal have a photo of the rather dull house in 2014.
