Jessica Dragonette

Biography

Her father was an engineer and work assignments often took the young family out of the country. It was on such a business related sojourn that baby Jessica was born in Calcutta, India on St Valentine's Day 1900, joining elder siblings Nicholas, Fred, and Nadea, to complete the Dragonetti family, devout Catholics. Orphaned by 1909, she applied herself to studies, Jessica went to the Philadelphia Girls Catholic High School, where her devout faith was nurtured by the extraordinary efforts of the Sisters of Charity, who guided the maturing Jessica in further developing her musical talents. Her education continued at Georgian Court (today Georgian Court University) in Lakewood, New Jersey. As a student, Jessica was invited to New York for singing lessons under the renowned teacher Estelle Liebling. Mother Superior cooperated by arranging school work around these trips; even granting a leave of absence to stay in New York for extended periods of time. She met her future husband, New York businessman Nicholas Turner, at a party given by mutual friends in 1944. After a three year courtship, the couple married in 1947. A private ceremony was held at the residence of Francis Cardinal Spellman, as vows were exchanged. She had always maintained that her career took so much energy that she could not possibly consider marriage. After the marriage, her focus shifted from performing and more toward humanitarian and church activities, resulting in numerous awards and even recognition from the Pope.