Singer. A recording career that ran from the 1940s into the early 1950s, her songs crossed the musical genres of blues, jazz, and country and she is considered by many to be an early influence on the development of rock and roll. However, she never gained the popularity of a major star because her versatility prevented her from being placed into any one category of music. In 1942, at the age of 17, she joined Freddie Slack's band, with whom in the same year she recorded "Cow Cow Boogie", Capitol Records' first gold single, followed by "Five by Five" the same year. In 1943 she began to record solo and released "Shoo-Shoo Baby" that reached No 4 on on the US Charts, followed by in 1944 with "No Love, No Nothing", "Tess' Torch Song", and "Milkman, Keep those Bottles Quiet". In 1952 she recorded her biggest solo success with "Blacksmith Blues" which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc, and was followed by "Okie Boogie". In 1957 she stopped recording but continued to perform until the early 1990s at such clubs as Michael's Pub in New York, Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel's Cinegrill and the Vine St. Bar and Grill. She appeared regularly at California's Disneyland for several years with the Ray McKinley Orchestra and did a successful tour of Australia shortly before her death from respiratory failure at the age of 75. Her music career was profiled in Nick Tosches' 1984 book "The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'N' Roll: The Birth of Rock in the Wild Years Before Elvis". She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the recording industry.
Singer. A recording career that ran from the 1940s into the early 1950s, her songs crossed the musical genres of blues, jazz, and country and she is considered by many to be an early influence on the development of rock and roll. However, she never gained the popularity of a major star because her versatility prevented her from being placed into any one category of music. In 1942, at the age of 17, she joined Freddie Slack's band, with whom in the same year she recorded "Cow Cow Boogie", Capitol Records' first gold single, followed by "Five by Five" the same year. In 1943 she began to record solo and released "Shoo-Shoo Baby" that reached No 4 on on the US Charts, followed by in 1944 with "No Love, No Nothing", "Tess' Torch Song", and "Milkman, Keep those Bottles Quiet". In 1952 she recorded her biggest solo success with "Blacksmith Blues" which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc, and was followed by "Okie Boogie". In 1957 she stopped recording but continued to perform until the early 1990s at such clubs as Michael's Pub in New York, Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel's Cinegrill and the Vine St. Bar and Grill. She appeared regularly at California's Disneyland for several years with the Ray McKinley Orchestra and did a successful tour of Australia shortly before her death from respiratory failure at the age of 75. Her music career was profiled in Nick Tosches' 1984 book "The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'N' Roll: The Birth of Rock in the Wild Years Before Elvis". She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the recording industry.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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