Andrea Carroll was the stage name of Andrea Lee DeCapite,
now Andrea Hill, Ph.D. (born October 3, 1946). She is an American former pop
singer and actress, who had a Billboard top 50 hit in 1963 with "It Hurts
To Be Sixteen", and has subsequently worked as a therapist and acting
coach.
She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and at the age of three
began appearing on television as a singer in The Gene Carroll Show, a talent
show hosted by Carroll (1897–1972) that was broadcast in the Ohio area. She
took the stage name Carroll, and continued to appear regularly on the show
through the 1950s.
She made her first recordings as a pop singer on the Epic
label with "Young and Lonely" in 1961, followed by "Please Don't
Talk to the Lifeguard", which became a major hit in the Cleveland area but
failed to break into the national charts.
After further singles on Epic failed to become hits, she
signed with Bright Tunes Productions in New York City, and recorded "It
Hurts To Be Sixteen" – her real age at the time – released on the Big Top
label. The song featured the Chiffons on uncredited backing vocals,
and rose to
number 45 on the US pop chart in 1963. However, the follow-up record, "The
Doolang", written by Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, also featuring
the Chiffons, failed to chart.
and rose to
number 45 on the US pop chart in 1963. However, the follow-up record, "The
Doolang", written by Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, also featuring
the Chiffons, failed to chart.
Carroll released several more singles on the RCA and United
Artists labels, including "Hey Beach Boy", but they were
unsuccessful. She continued to appear on The Gene Carroll Show through to the
mid-1960s, and also toured with her own band, before giving up her musical
career.
She attended Kent State University in the late 1960s, and
made her final appearance on The Gene Carroll Show on a special tribute edition
following Carroll's death. She later married television producer Lyle B. Hill,
and trained as a clinical therapist. The couple own the Weist-Barron-Hill
acting school in Burbank, California. Andrea Hill has published Making It In
The Business, a book of guidance for people seeking to enter the entertainment
industry. (Info Wikipedia)
