Olga James, Star of Carmen Jones, Dies at 95

Olga James, who went by her full name Olga James Adderley-Chandler at the time of her death, died January 25 at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles at the age of 95. The singer and actor was known for her role opposite Harry Belafonte in Otto Preminger’s 1954 musical film Carmen Jones.

James also starred on Broadway opposite Sammy Davis Jr. in the musical Mr. Wonderful in 1956, her only Broadway role. On TV, she played Verna Kincaid, the sister-in-law of Bill Cosby’s character of the 1969-71 sitcom The Bill Cosby Show.

James was born on February 16, 1929, in Washington D.C. into a musical family. After studying opera at Julliard, she made her professional debut in 1952 in Paris, performing in the opera Four Saints in Three Acts.