Marni Nixon (1930–2016) was an American voice teacher, actress, and soprano, most famous for being the singing voice behind some of classic cinema's biggest leading ladies.

Born Margaret Nixon McEathron in Altadena, California, on February 22, 1930, she began her music education as a child, learning both singing and violin. Years later, she performed with the Roger Wagner Chorale and trained with Carl Ebert, Boris Goldovsky, and Sarah Caldwell, all well-known figures in the American opera scene. At 17 years of age in 1947, she sang in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at the Hollywood Bowl under the direction of Leopold Stokowski.

Early in her career, she developed an interest in contemporary classical music, performing works by composers such as Arnold Schoenberg and Aaron Copland, alongside more traditional operatic and concert repertoire. During the same period, she also recorded for Hollywood films, with early work including singing for Margaret O'Brien in Big City and The Secret Garden.

Her most notable work was providing the singing voices for Deborah Kerr in The King and I, Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. To prepare for these roles, she had to carefully study each actress's speaking voice and adjust her singing to make the transition between dialogue and song as seamless and believable as possible.

Due to contractual restrictions, Nixon was unable to speak openly about some of her work in this capacity. Despite how famous these films were, she received little to no recognition for her work until years later.

Throughout her years in Hollywood, she continued performing concert music and opera, including contemporary classical works. In 1965, she appeared as Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music. Her Broadway credits would later include James Joyce's The Dead, Follies, and Nine.

Nixon was an active voice teacher, working with singers privately and through several educational institutions. From 1969 to 1971, she was a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts before moving to the Cornish Institute for the Arts in Seattle, where she was involved in opera education. She went on to join the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara in 1980, working with young singers and directing its apprentice division. She continued to maintain a private studio while presenting masterclasses and maintaining her active performance schedule.

In 2006, Nixon published her autobiography, I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story, written with Stephen Cole. In the book, she recounts her experiences in Hollywood, including her years working as an uncredited singing double, as well as her career on the stage. 

Nixon's experience as a teacher and performer covered a wide range of repertoire and styles. Having worked in opera, on Broadway, and in Hollywood, she brought real world experience of the different musical and vocal demands of each to her teaching.

In October 2011, Nixon was invited to California State University, Fullerton, for a week-long residency where she worked individually with advanced voice students, presented masterclasses, and participated in a concert at the end of the week. The same year, she became a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing (AATS) and remained active in teaching and performance into her later years. She died in New York City on 24 July 2016, at age 86.

References

American Academy of Teachers of Singing. (n.d.). Complete member list. https://www.americanacademyofteachersofsinging.org/membership/

California State University, Fullerton. (2011, October 14). Songbird in residence: Marni Nixon to coach and perform at Cal State Fullerton. https://calstate.fullerton.edu/news/2011fall/Marni-Nixon.asp

Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Nixon, Marni 1930–. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/nixon-marni-1930

Nixon, M., & Cole, S. (2006). I could have sung all night: My story. Billboard Books.

Playbill. (2016, July 25). Marni Nixon, voice of My Fair Lady on screen, dead at 86. https://playbill.com/article/marni-nixon-voice-of-my-fair-lady-on-screen-dead-at-86

Television Academy. (n.d.). Marni Nixon. https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/marni-nixon

The Guardian. (2016, July 26). Marni Nixon obituary. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/26/marni-nixon-obituary

Cariaga, D. (1985, February 23). Marni Nixon: ‘Invisible’ voice gaining visibility. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-23-ca-1221-story.html