Yma Sumac(1922-2008)

Known for her astonishing 4 1/2 octave vocal range, Yma Sumac (AKA Ima or Imma Sumack) was born in Ichocán, Peru, a town high in the Andes. From an early age she performed in radio and movies and made recordings throughout South America. She came to the United States in the 1940s and performed with a small group of musicians and dancers. When she signed with Capitol Records in 1950 her stage name's spelling was changed to the more exotic "Yma Sumac." An urban legend that she was really "Amy Camus," a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn, originated in 1951 with a joke among musicians repeated in one of Walter Winchell's gossip columns. She acted in several films and stage shows, and continued to perform into the 1990s. She died in Los Angeles after the re-release of her recordings turned her into a cult icon.