Johnnie Lucille Collier (April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004), known professionally as Ann Miller, was an American dancer, singer and actress. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood musical films of the 1940s and 1950s.\n', '

Johnnie Lucille Collier (other sources give other names, Johnnie Lucille Ann Collier, Lucille Collier, Lucy Ann Collier), was born in Texas to Clara Emma (née Birdwell) and John Allison Collier, a criminal lawyer who represented the Barrow Gang, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson, among others.\n', '

Her maternal grandmother was Cherokee. Miller\'s father insisted on the name Johnnie because he had wanted a boy, but she was often called Annie.[citation needed] She began to take dance classes at the age of five, after suffering from a case of rickets. Her mother believed that these classes would help strengthen her young daughter\'s legs.\n', '

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