Jane Powell was born on April 1, 1929 in Portland, Oregon to the Burce family. Baby Burce was originally named Suzanne, her name was changed when she was signed to MGM.

From the start, Powell's parents wanted her to be the next Shirley Temple. The young Burce was exploding with talent and sang On the Good Ship Lollipop, a song of Temple's, at the age of 5 on a local radio station. Jane's parents went so far as to put permanant curls in her hair and moved to Oakland, CA in 1935 to be closer to Hollywood (her father had to give up his job).

In Oakland, Jane took singing lessons and as a result began to appear on radio again. As the mid thirties came along, Jane idolized Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy (she would later appear in a film with Jeanette called Three Darling Daughters). Unfortunately the trip to California did not get Powell into pictures until later, when she caught the attention of MGM head, Louis B. Mayer.

Louis B. Mayer, signed Powell to a contract in 1943, however, she was sent to do two films at United Artists before appearing in an MGM film. Her first film for MGM was A Holiday in Mexico, the film that made Jane a star and America's  favorite little sister. Jane's ability to sing, act, and dance allowed her to become one of the most beloved stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Hollywood musicals lost their appeal in popular culture when she was at the height of popularity, so Jane turned around her career to TV, radio, concerts, and live performances. She has been married four times since 1949 and is currently married to Dickie Moore, (the boy who gave Shirley Temple her first screen kiss). Jane still performs occasionally today, still as magical as ever and stealing new hearts again and again.