Kathy on Growing up with Famous Parents
We all know Kathy Westmoreland as the girl Elvis introduced on-stage as, "the little girl with the beautiful high voice," but not everyone knows that she is also the daughter of famous parents.
Tell us a little about your family and what it was like growing up in the world of show business.
My Father's name was Bresee Gibbons Westmoreland. He was "Breezy" to his friends, as Bresee was difficult for most people to pronounce when reading it. Sounded out, it is "Brah-see" ( You can imagine how mail arrived to our home addressed to him.."Mr. Brazier. Brasierre," etc). He was named after the founder of the Nazarene Church, Dr. Bresee.
One of the youngest of TWELVE children, he grew up on a little farm in Prescott, Arkansas, then moved to Houston, Texas, at age twelve years old.
He grew up in a family of great singers, and very active church members--a true "little church in the wildwood". As his glorious "gift", his singing voice, became apparent to a very wealthy man in Houston, this man knowing my dad was too poor to pay for voice lessons, sponsored him.
Daddy truly had an "anointing" by our Creator. A voice that just had "that THING"...the "Unnamable"quality was just luscious, and for whatever reason, just went through the SOULS of those who heard it.
I believe I heard the man's name mentioned often as a child, as Mr. Van Hoos. I hope I'm not incorrect on that name, as it is obviously important to me, since Daddy then shared his knowledge with me and his other students, many of which had successful singing careers. A few of his "known" students were the lead female singer of "The First Edition"(Kenny Rogers' original group), the Broadway TONY award-winning, Oscar nominee, actress "Swoosie Kurtz", Steve Martin (my high school buddy), with whom I did a comedy act for four years (off and on), Eva La Rue(actress on a Disney show and numerous television movies, etc.
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