Polly Bergen, born Nellie Paulina Burgin, July 14, 1930, in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, died September 20, 2014, in Southbury, Connecticut, United States, was an American actress and singer. Bergen began her recording career in the 1950s after signing with Columbia Records, releasing the studio album Bergen Sings Morgan in 1957, which reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. Bergen followed with the studio albums The Party's Over in 1957, which reached number 20 on the Billboard 200, Polly and Her Pop in 1958, and First Impressions in 1959, along with the single “Come Prima” in 1958, which reached number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1958, Bergen won a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Helen Morgan in the television anthology episode Helen Morgan. Bergen was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the film The Caretakers in 1963 and starred in films including Cape Fear in 1962, Move Over, Darling in 1963, and Kisses for My President in 1964. Bergen received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the Broadway revival of Follies in 2001, and earned an Emmy Award nomination for her role in Desperate Housewives in 2007.
