Shirley Bell Cole
Shirley Adrienne Bell Cole, also known as Shirley Bell, was an American radio actress; best known as the voice of Little Orphan Annie in the eponymous radio show.
Early years
Born Shirley Adrienne Bell in Chicago's South Side, she grew up in various apartments as her family endured the Depression. Her mother was described as "the consummate stage mother," while her father "left the family when Shirley was a toddler." She attended Lake View High School in Chicago.Radio
Cole was first heard on radio at age 6, as a member of the WGN Players. Beginning when she was 10 years old, Bell was the primary voice actress of the character Little Orphan Annie from 1930 to 1940. She also was on Captain Midnight in the role of Patsy.In 1995, Bell was heard in a reenactment of Little Orphan Annie on Chuck Schaden's Those Were the Days radio show.