Debbie Reynolds and Rick Kern

Photo: Debbie Reynolds and Rick Kern in Las Vegas -- 1993. Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso. Her father was a filling station attendant during the Great Depression. The family lived on Magnolia St. in central El Paso for a time, but the economy forced them to move around the city to live with other relatives. Her father held odd jobs in El Paso before finally finding steady work in Burbank, Calif., in 1939. The move to Burbank was a fortunate one for Reynolds. She would go on to win the title of Miss Burbank in 1948. In addition to winning the beauty pageant, she got a screen test with Warner Brothers. Studio head Jack Warner signed her to a contract and promptly changed her name from Mary to Debbie Reynolds. As a child star, Reynolds moved between Warner Brothers and MGM. She worked with such musical legends as Fred Astaire and Busby Berkley. In 1950, she had a breakthrough song with "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from "Two Weeks with Love." She is best remembered for playing opposite Gene Kelly in 1952's "Singin' in the Rain." The experience of making that movie was difficult for her. She said in her autobiography that "Singin' in the Rain" and childbirth were the hardest things she ever had to do in her life. She began rehearsals on the film just two weeks after turning 19. Rick Kern is a Producer/Drummer in El Paso, Texas. http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_22912847/el-paso-native-debbie-reynolds-turns-81

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