Barbara Eden

Barbara Eden born August 23 1931 height 5 3¾ 162 m is an American film stage and television actress and singer She is best known for her starring role of Jeannie in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson Arizona the daughter of Alice Mary née Franklin and Hubert Henry Morehead Her parents divorced when she was three she and her mother Alice moved to San Francisco where later her mother married Harrison Connor Huffman a telephone lineman The Great Depression deeply affected the Huffman family and as they were unable to afford many luxuries Barbaras mother entertained the children by singing songs This musical background left a lasting impression on the actress who began taking acting classes because she felt it might help her improve her singing Her first public performance was singing in the church choir where she sang the solos When she was 14 she sang in local bands for 10 a night in night clubs At age 16 she became a member of Actors Equity She studied singing at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and acting with the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre She graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in the Spring Class of 1949 and studied theater for one year at City College of San Francisco She was then elected Miss San Francisco as Barbara Huffman in 1951 Barbara also entered the Miss California pageant but did not win