Wilbur Evans
Wilbur Evans | |
|---|---|
Evans pictured in 1941 | |
| Born | Wilbur Whilt Evans August 5, 1905 |
| Died | May 31, 1987 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Spouse(s) |
Florence Monroe Evans
(before 1946)Masako Ogura (m. 1974–1987) |
Wilbur Whilt "Wib" Evans (August 5, 1905 – May 31, 1987) was an American actor and singer who performed on the radio, in opera, on Broadway in films and early live television.
Born in Philadelphia, he rose to prominence after winning a national radio singing contest in the 1920s and went on to perform across the U.S. and Canada in concerts, operettas and oratorios. He gained acclaim for his roles in Gilbert and Sullivan productions with Philadelphia's Savoy Company and later became a Broadway regular, starring in The Merry Widow, South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. Known for his operatic voice, Evans also toured internationally and continued performing into the 1960s.
His personal life included four marriages, one of them to actress Susanna Foster, with whom he had two children. He died in New Jersey at the age of 81.