Freddie Mercer was a famous singer and soloist for the Detroit Symphony from the age of nine, and also a soloist for St. Paul's Cathedral. He was born on March 6,1929 in Detroit, Michigan. He began his film career when he came to Hollywood in 1940 to sing at the National Music Conference. He's best known for playing Leroy Forrester in four of the Gildersleeve's film series, including Gildersleeve's Ghost (1944), and Gildersleeve's Bad Day (1943). His final film appearance was in My Gal Loves Music in 1944. He died in 1978 at the age of 48.