Marjorie Finlay

Marjorie Moehlenkamp Finlay (October 5, 1928 – June 1, 2003) was an American opera singer and television personality. A coloratura soprano, Finlay performed concert, opera, and supper club singing. After winning a talent contest in 1950, she toured on the ABC radio network show Music With the Girls. Finlay later had her own television program and served as an MC for El Show Pan-Americano in Puerto Rico. She toured South America and released an album in Mexico.^[1] She is the maternal grandmother of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who dedicated her songs "Marjorie" and "Timeless" to her.^[2]

Marjorie Finlay
Finlay in 1949
Born	Marjorie Moehlenkamp (1928-10-05)October 5, 1928 Memphis, Tennessee, US
Died	June 1, 2003(2003-06-01) (aged 74) Reading, Pennsylvania, US
Alma mater	Lindenwood College
Occupation	Opera singer
Spouse	Robert Finlay ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	2
Relatives	Taylor Swift (granddaughter) Leah Fish (adopted daughter from JC NY) Austin Swift (grandson)

Early life and education

Marjorie Moehlenkamp was born on October 5, 1928, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp of St. Charles, Missouri, and Cora Lee Morrow of Arkansas.^[3][4][5] She was raised in St. Charles. Three of her paternal great-grandparents were from Germany.^[6] In 1948, Moehlenkamp performed at Mexico Senior High School as a soloist in the Lindenwood Vesper Choir.^[7] She earned her Bachelor of Music from Lindenwood University in 1949.^[8] Moehlenkamp was in Mu Phi Epsilon, a professional music fraternity.^[9]

Career

 

Moehlenkamp in February 1950 after winning the ABC Music With the Girls talent contest.

She was a singer in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's pop concert at Kiel Auditorium.^[10] In 1950, Moehlenkamp was working as a receptionist at Boatmen's National Bank in St. Louis. She won a talent contest on the ABC network show Music With the Girls.^[5] This awarded her a radio spot and she toured on the network radio show for 15 months.^[5] During the summer of 1951, Moehlenkamp studied at the Berkshire Music Center and then in New York City on the advice of musician Edwin McArthur.^[10][9] Moving to Puerto Rico, Finlay had her own television program and performed in concerts, operas, and supper clubs, including a two-week stint at the Caribe Hilton Hotel.^[11]

Finlay was the mistress of ceremonies for El Show Pan-Americano on APA-TV in Santurce, Puerto Rico.^[10][11] She was active in the Pro Arte Societies, a civic music organization. Her Spanish was reportedly "bad" enough to be funny to her audiences. Her television show ran six nights a week for 17 months.^[10] In 1962, Finlay performed at a Kiel Auditorium Pop Concert. Her performance included "Fanciulla È Sbocciato L'Amore" from La rondine and "Jewel song" in addition to pop songs.^[12]

Personal life

She married Robert Finlay, president of Raymond Construction Company, on March 22, 1952, in Palm Beach, Florida.^[9] After her marriage, Finlay and her husband moved to Havana, Cuba, where his office was located before relocating to Puerto Rico due to political unrest. They moved to Caracas before returning to Santurce, Puerto Rico with their children.

Death and legacy

Finlay died on June 1, 2003, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Finlay was the mother of Andrea Gardner Swift (née Finlay, born 1958), and through her was maternal grandmother of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her brother, actor Austin Swift. Swift cited Finlay for inspiring her to pursue a career in music.^[4] In 2020, Swift released the song "Marjorie" from her ninth studio album Evermore; Swift credited her grandmother with backing vocals which were sampled in the track.^[4][13] In 2022, Swift included a photograph of Finlay in the music video of "Anti-Hero".^[14]

Awards and honors

Year	Title	Notes	Ref
1949	$200 scholarship (equivalent to $2,460 in 2022)	National music contest hosted by the magazine Music News and the Metropolitan School of Music in Chicago	^[15]^[8]
1950	Talent contest on the ABC network show Music With the Girls	Winner	^[5]
1961	Outstanding graduate with a certificate of merit	Given by her alma mater Lindenwood College	^[16]^[11]
1962	Honorary captain in the Puerto Rico Air National Guard	Guardsmen nicknamed her "madrina" (godmother)	^[10]^[11]

References

1. Taylor, Deb (December 28, 2020). "How Taylor Swift's Grandma Marjorie Finlay Inspired Her Music Career". Suggest. from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
2. Iasimone, Ashley (May 6, 2023). "Taylor Swift in Awe of What Fans Did During 'Marjorie' in Nashville: 'So Meaningful and So Special'". Billboard. from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
3. "United States Social Security Death Index". from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2020 – via FamilySearch.org.
4. O'Connor, Roisin (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift song 'Marjorie' is a tribute to her late grandmother". The Independent. from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
5. "St. Charles Soprano Wins 1st 'Music With The Girls' Trials". The St. Louis Star and Times. February 27, 1950. p. 5. from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "United States Census, 1930". 1930. from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2020 – via FamilySearch.org.
7. "Concert Given By Lindenwood Vesper Choir". Mexico Ledger. April 17, 1948. p. 5. from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Marjorie Moehlenkamp Wins Music Scholarship". The St. Louis Star and Times. June 10, 1949. p. 36. from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Moehlenkamp, Finlay Wedding in South Mar. 22". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. February 24, 1952. p. 35. from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Brink, Margaret J. "She's a star in Puerto Rico". Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri.
11. Goddard, Bob (January 9, 1962). "In Our Town". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. p. 30. from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Pop Concert Sunday At Kiel". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. January 13, 1962. p. 26. from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Andaloro, Angela (December 11, 2020). "What Taylor Swift's Marjorie Is Really About". The List. from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
14. Olson, Samantha (October 21, 2022). "All the Easter Eggs In Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Music Video". Seventeen. from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
15. "Marjorie Moehlenkamp is finalist in music contest" (PDF). Lindenwood College Bulletin. June 1949. p. 13. (PDF) from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
16. "180 Lindenwood Graduates Will Attend Reunion". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. October 26, 1961. p. 16. from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.