Chris Noel is an American actress. Star of a dozen beach party movies in the 1960s, she is perhaps best known by veterans of the Vietnam war for her work on the Armed Forces Radio And Television Service as the "Voice of Vietnam". Noel made frequent visits to troops and was shot down twice in helicopters. Her radio programA Date With Chris was one of Armed Forces Radio's most popular shows and is fondly remembered by many Vietnam vets. Her pin up pictures were very popular.
Model
Noel's picture appeared on the cover of Good Housekeeping magazine when she was 16 years old, and she was painted as a pin-up model by Gil Elvgren. Posters that showed her holding a KodakBrownie camera were displayed in camera stores. She also had her own modeling school in Lake Park, Florida.
Vietnam
In addition to her work on radio during the Vietnam War, she toured the country eight times, including twice with Bob Hope. Her interest in that war's military personnel began with her visit to a San FranciscoVA hospital in 1965. She said, "That was the moment. I prayed to God to help me help young men in war."
Singer
In the early '70's, Noel was in New York and was working with Paul Colby, impresario and owner of the famous Greenwich Village club, The Bitter End. Noel was performing cover songs by John Prine and needed a backup band. Paul asked Dennis Lepri, who had worked with Kenny Rogers and Gunhill Road, to form a band for her and produce her sound. After auditioning many New York area musicians, the band "Quilt" was formed. After extensive rehearsals at the Bitter End, the band showcased for selected industry executives to mixed reviews. Some time after, the band was dissolved and Noel pursued other interests.
Personal life
Noel wed soldier Ty Herrington, whom she later described as "a paranoid schizophrenic manic-depressive", following his proposal in a helicopter. He killed himself after they had been married 11 months.She went on to marry three more times. In 1993, she opened a shelter in Boynton Beach, Florida, providing space for 10 - 12 veterans at a time.
