▁the ater ▁producer , ▁political ▁activ ist , ▁a ▁restaur ateur ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁a ▁once - f am ous ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁women ' s ▁cl othing ▁store , ▁" C ork y ▁H ale ." ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁H ale ▁was ▁born ▁as ▁Mar il yn ▁He cht ▁in ▁Free port , ▁Illinois . ▁C ork y ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁mid western ▁town ▁where ▁she ▁been ▁playing ▁piano ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁three . ▁ ▁Education ▁ ▁At ▁seven , ▁she ▁was ▁en rolled ▁in ▁classical ▁piano ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Conserv atory . ▁It ▁was ▁here ▁that ▁she ▁also ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁har p , ▁and ▁a ▁life ▁in ▁music ▁was ▁born . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁her ▁classical ▁studies , ▁she ▁learned ▁to ▁love ▁and ▁play ▁show ▁t unes ▁and ▁standards , ▁and ▁soon ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁jazz ▁sounds ▁of ▁Stan ▁Kent on . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 6 , ▁C ork y ' s ▁parents ▁en rolled ▁her ▁in ▁Steph ens ▁College , ▁a ▁school ▁for ▁young ▁ladies , ▁for ▁her ▁last ▁year ▁of ▁high ▁school . ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁C ork y ▁announced ▁to ▁her ▁parents ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁moving ▁to ▁Hollywood ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁music ian , ▁where up on ▁her ▁father ▁immediately ▁sent ▁her ▁to ▁nearby ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin – Mad ison . ▁But ▁it ▁was ▁too ▁late ; ▁she ’ d ▁been ▁bit ten ▁by ▁the