Born Marie Marguerite Louisa Gisèle
LaFlèche in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on
January 10, 1927, she was one of five
children of pianist Marietta Manseau and
physician Georges MacKenzie
LaFlèche. Her brother, George
LaFlèche, was a Canadian singer/composer
who began his career in radio in Winnipeg
as well, before moving on to CBC TV in
Toronto, debuting on Club O'Connor.
Gisèle studied piano under the guidance of
her mother at the age of three, then
violin at seven, and gave her first public
violin recital at age 12. For six
years starting in 1941, she studied violin
at the Royal Conservatory of Music in
Toronto. During the Second World
War, she sang and played violin for
Canadian troops, then had her own CBC
radio show “Meet Gisèle”.
Changing her surname to her father’s
middle name of MacKenzie in 1951, Gisèle
moved to Los Angeles, California.
She appeared on numerous radio and
television shows during the 50s and 60s:
“Club 15” radio show with
Bob Crosby
“The Mario Lanza Show”
“Your Hit Parade” from
1953 to 1957 and in 1955, was the
first cast member permitted to sing
her own hit song - Hard to Get - on
the show.
The Dinah Shore Chevy Hose
“The Gisèle MacKenzie
Show” from 1957 to 1958
"The Perry Como Show" 1960
“The Sid Caesar Show” from
1963 to 1964 as Sid Caesar’s wife
Gisèle guest-starred seven times on the
television series, "The Jack Benny
Program", which ran from 1950 through
1965. An accomplished classical
violinist, the two frequently played
comedic musical duets, with Jack's
inimitable humour creating some of early
television's most memorable moments.
Together, they also toured night clubs,
concert venues, and theatres throughout
the United States. A lifelong
friend, Jack often referred to her as
"Doll".
Gisèle MacKenzie portrayed Katherine
Chancellor on the soap opera "The Young
and The Restless", substituting for
actress Jeanne Cooper for six episodes in
August 1986. During the 1990s,
Gisèle made guest appearances on Murder
She Wrote, Boy Meets World, and MacGyver
Known as Canada's First Lady of Song and The Songbird of Winnipeg, Gisèle was honoured on Hollywood's Walk of Fame at 1601 Vine. She passed away at age 76 in Burbank California on September 5, 2003.
