Olga San Juan, the actress dubbed the "Puerto Rican Pepperpot" for singing and dancing roles alongside Bing Crosby and others, has died. She was 81.

Of Puerto Rican descent, San Juan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She started dancing when she was 5 or 6 years old and performed as a girl with mambo percussionist Tito Puente.

She began her acting career in radio and theater, then went on to movies in the mid-1940s. San Juan appeared opposite Fred Astaire and danced with him in the 1946 musical "Blue Skies," and also sang with Crosby in the film. She also appeared in such '40s films as Duffy's Tavern, Variety Girl and One Touch of Venus.

In 1951 she starred in the Broadway production of Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon.

Source: USA Today obit