Norma Zimmer was born Norma Larsen in Larson, Idaho in 1923. The Larsen family was poor and Norma's upbringing was difficult. Their hard times grew harder during the Great Depression and both of Norma's parents developed problems with alcohol. A singer in the chuch choir, Norma had been told by a talent agent to pursue a career in music and, when she turned 18, she traveled to Los Angeles. NBC hired her straight away, paying her $24 per show.
Norma's appearances in movies, on television, and in song were often uncredited in the early part of her career, such as a singing role in Bing Crosby's 1950 film "Mr. Music" and her work as the voice of the White Rose in the animated "Alice In Wonderland". She sang backup in the recording studios for many of the vocal stars of the day, including Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Harry Belafonte, and Frank Sinatra; and she sang with numerous choral groups, among them the Norman Luboff Choir and the Pete King Chorale.
Norma Zimmer also sang on many Billy Graham Crusades and published her autobiography, Norma, in 1976. Married in 1944, Norma's husband Randy passed away in 2008. They had two sons, Ron and Mark, and three grandchildren.
More intriguing still, Norma provided the voice of "Suzy Snowflake" on the 1951 animated short (most familiar to mid-westerners), as a member of a primordial Norman Luboff Choir. This is not my genre of expertise, however I've been unable to locate so much as a reference to this Norman Luboff recording ever being on shellac, vinyl or CD (if someone knows better, please share with the class). You can, if you're interested, purchase a copy of the video (along with a few other classics from the era, including "Hardrock, Coco & Joe") from the Museum of Broadcast Communications for $29.97.
As a member of The Lawrence Welk Show, Norma Zimmer was a featured performer on "Silver Bells", "Ave Maria", and "The Lord's Prayer", all three of which were included on the 1970 4-LP set, "Merry Christmas From Lawrence Welk". It would appear that only "Silver Bells" , a duet with Jimmy Roberts, is available on CD or as an mp3, via either "22 Merry Christmas Favorites" or "Christmas Memories".
You can also find a religious rendition of "Joy To The World" on last year's digital collection from Stage Door Records, "Christmas At Our House"--possibly drawn from Norma's work on the Billy Graham Crusades though I have no first hand knowledge of the track's origins.