Vicki Ann Lawrence is an American actress, voice actress, comedian, and singer. For Disney, she voiced Granny Rose in The Fox and the Hound 2 and Hildegard Johnson in Phineas and Ferb. She also played Ruthie Ray "Mamaw" Stewart in Hannah Montana.
Born Vicki Ann Axelrad in Inglewood, California; she is a graduate of Morningside High School where she was a part of the musical group, The Young Americans. She gained experience from touring, performing at the Oscars, coming in contact with noteworthy performers, such as Johnny Mathis and Louis Armstrong, and performing on The Andy Williams Show. Lawrence had originally planned on being a dental hygienist. She attended UCLA while on The Carol Burnett Show, and changed her major to theater arts, but dropped out after two years.
Learning about show business from Burnett, the two formed a close friendship. Her character of Thelma Harper/Mama from "The Family" skit proved to be popular enough that Lawrence was given her own show Mama's Family which ran for six seasons. Her other television credits include The Love Boat, Carol Burnett & Company, Laverne & Shirley, Vicki!, Murder, She Wrote, Roseanne, Diagnosis: Murder, The Cool Kids, and hosted Win, Lose, or Draw.
Lawrence also had a music career during the 1970s. She scored a number one hit with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and followed it with songs, like "He Did with Me", "Ships in the Night", "The Other Woman", and "Don't Stop the Music".
