Singer, Actress. A child star of the 1930s, she is remembered as one of the last links to ‘old-time radio’. Raised in the itinerant lifestyle of the entertainment milieu, she broke into show business at nine by performing with her parents’ ensemble, the Vass Family Singers. Dr. Vass, a Baptist minister and Furman University professor, along with his wife and children, was residing in Connecticut when the family got an audition at Radio City Music Hall and landed the first of several radio gigs, originally on Madge Tucker’s “The Children’s Hour”. Emily sang, acted, and wrote dialogue as the group performed in New York, Chicago, Hollywood, and elsewhere, often billed as the “Hillbilly Heart-Throbs”; with time, the family had their own 15 minute show, were regulars on “National Barn Dance”, became associated with radio pioneer Ethel Park Richardson, cut records for Decca in 1937, and appeared in the stage production “Hold On to Your Hats” as well as the 1941 Republic feature “Country Fair”, but as the girls married they ceased participation and the Vass Family folded in 1942. On her own with her husband serving in Europe, Emily starred on Broadway in “Lady in the Dark”, sang back-up for Bing Crosby, and was for a time lead vocalist with Tommy Dorsey’s band. After the war, she concentrated on her family, though she was a successful writer and producer of advertising jingles up thru the 1960s, and even found time to publish a mystery novel entitled “Death Pulls the Curtain”. Emily spent her final year in Arizona and Oregon and died of the effects of advanced age; some recordings of her have been preserved. (bio by: Bob Hufford)  Family links:  Spouse:  John Drummond Noble (1918 – 2010)