Mickey Rooney Jr Mother: Who Is B.J. Baker? (Betty Jane Phillips)

Mickey Rooney Jr., an original Mouseketeer, musician and actor widey recognized as the first of screen legend Mickey Rooney‘s nine children, has died. He died at the age of 77.

Rooney Jr.’s long-time companion Chrissie Brown confirmed the sad news to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rooney Jr.’s friend Paul Petersen also shared the sad news on Facebook. Petersen wrote;

“Mickey Rooney, Jr peacefully passed away this morning in Arizona. For the past many years, he lived with and was in the care of Chrissie Brown and her family.”

Mickey Rooney Jr was born on July 3, 1945 to parents actor Mickey Rooney (1920–2014) and former Miss Birmingham and singer Betty Jane Baker.

Who Is B.J. Baker? (Betty Jane Phillips)

Betty Jane Baker (born Betty Jane Phillips) was a singer, songwriter and vocal contractor, who worked as a backup singer on recordings by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, The Righteous Brothers and Sam Cooke, among others.

She backed;

1. Elvis Presley in his recording of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”,
2. Lloyd Price in “Stagger Lee”,
3. Sam Cooke in “You Send Me”,
4. Bobby Darin in “Dream Lover”,
5. Frank Sinatra in “That’s Life”,
6. Jackie Wilson in “Baby Workout”,
7. The Righteous Brothers in “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and
8. Nancy Sinatra on her 1969 album Nancy.

She also was well regarded as a vocal contractor for backup singers and recorded extensively with the Anita Kerr Singers.

Baker was Miss Alabama in 1944 as Betty Jane Rase, and was 4th runner-up in the 1944 Miss America Pageant.

In addition to her studio singing, Baker was the singing voice of Linda Low (played by Nancy Kwan) in the 1961 film version of Flower Drum Song and also lent her voice to The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (1968 TV movie), Babar Comes to America (1971 TV movie) and Heidi’s Song (1982).

Baker was born on May 6, 1927 and she died on April 2, 2002 at the age of 74, in Rancho Mirage, California, from complications following a stroke.

She also sang on the radio, with big bands and did voice work for television and films and appeared on television variety shows.