Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Jo Stafford

 
Gale Musician Profiles:

Jo Stafford

Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Musicians

Singer

In the fall of 1917, Grover Cleveland Stafford, his wife Anna York and their two daughters left their farm community of Gainesboro, Tennessee for the oil fields of California, hoping to improve their station in life. They settled in a small company owned house on a tract of land called "Lease 35" in Coalinga, California, near Fresno. Stafford had worked on a farm in Tennessee and Anna was noted for her prowess as a five string banjoist. Two months later on November 12, 1917, Anna gave birth to her third daughter, Jo Elizabeth. Another daughter would be born seven years later. Jo Stafford would later become the quintessential vocalist of the 1940 and 1950s. She is one of the finest in her profession to stand behind a microphone in this century and sing popular songs. She can easily be characterized as warm, open and a personable lady devoted to her family, and cherishes good friends and popular music.

In 1921, the family moved to Long Beach, since a new oil field had been discovered at Signal Hill. Stafford attended Hamilton Jr. High School and Polytechnic High School. She began to sing at twelve and trained for five years to be an opera singer. While singing in the glee club in high school, she took voice lessons from Foster Rucker, a local announcer at KNX radio, who later married her sister, Pauline. Pauline remarked, "Rucker was a very fine instructor and she sometimes might go six months without actually singing a song but instead practicing breath control and other vocal exercises." In 1929, she made her first public appearance singing "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" for a meeting of Jobs’ Daughters and at 16 she sang an aria from the opera "Rigoletto" at the Long Beach Terrace Theater.

Her two older sisters, Christine and Pauline, began to appear on a local radio station, KNK, in Hollywood in a Country and Western singing trio as the Stafford Sisters. When Stafford finished high school, she joined her sisters in the hour-long country and music radio show heard five nights a week and called "The Crockett Family of Kentucky. The trio also appeared on their own 15 minute program heard three nights a week on KHJ. They performed popular songs and supplied background vocals for all the major motion picture studios in nearby Hollywood. They were also were regulars on David Broeckman’s California Melodies radio show on KHJ, Los Angeles.

The Pied Pipers
In 1938, Twentieth Century Fox put together a major motion picturethat required many back-up vocal groups since a large choral group was needed. The film, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, was an entertaining musical that chronicled the ups and downs of the aristocratic bandleader and was highlighted by a score of Irving Berlin songs including the title tune. Stafford recalls, "We had to do a lot of waiting and sitting around between takes, so seven boys from a group called the Esquires and another called The Rhythm Kings began harmonizing with one another," What started out as trying to kill some time and have some fun turned out to be the start of the Pied Pipers.

Their newly formed sound caught the attention of two of the King Sisters, Alyce and Yvonne, who encouraged their boyfriends, Paul Weston and Axel Stordahl to listen to the newly formed octet. At that time, Weston and Stordahl were the chief arrangers for Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra and helped produce his New York based radio program, The Raleigh-Kool Show. Subsequently the new group, who called themselves the Pied Pipers, were invited to perform on Dorsey’s Show for a singular performance. The original group was comprised of Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowery, John Huddelston, Woody Newbury, George Tait, Dick Whittinghill and Bud Hervey. Stafford recalls, "Knowing we were only guaranteed one night of work, we drove all the way to New York and made a pact that we would save just enough money for a ticket home in case things didn’t work out." They

stayed on the show for nearly two months and managed to remain in New York for several more months before their money ran out. Some of the members were married and had families in California, so they disbanded and the group ended up becoming a quartet returning on the train to Los Angeles.

After returning home, Stafford was unable to find work. As her employment benefits were about to run out, she received a call from Tommy Dorsey asking her to join him at the Palmer House in Chicago. It was December of 1939 and the new Pied Piper Quartet consisted of her first husband John Huddleston, Chuck Lowery, Clark Yocum, a Dorsey guitarist and vocalist, and Stafford when they rejoined Dorsey. In 1940, the Pied Pipers were joined on by a new singer from Hoboken, New Jersey, who had worked for a short time with Harry James before jumping to Dorsey’s band. Frank Sinatra would not only prove to be a fine soloist but frequently provided backing to the Pied Pipers. The Sinatra pairing with the Pied Pipers resulted inthe number one hit "I’ll Never Smile Again." It remained on top for 12 weeks and nearly five months on the charts. Tommy Dorsey later gave Jo Stafford the opportunity to sing a solo and in 1942 her first solo recording "Little Man with a Candy Cigar," was released on Columbia Records. Columbia Records later recognized her with a Diamond Award as the first recording artist to sell 25 million records.

For the next three years, the Pied Pipers traveled with the Dorsey Band for mostly one night stands by bus and sometimes by train with an occasional stop of three or four weeks in one city. The Pied Pipers stayed with Dorsey until 1942 when Dorsey fired Lowery. However, the Pied Pipers had already established themselves and went out on their own and performed on various radio shows with Bob Crosby, Johnny Mercer, Frank Sinatra and others. Huddleston and Stafford were divorced in 1943.

Pursued Solo Career
In April of 1944, the Pied Pipers signed with Capitol Records, and Huddleston who had left the group to join the war effort, was replaced by an original octet member, Hal Hooper. Early in 1944, Stafford left the Pied Pipers to pursue a solo career with Johnny Mercer. She signed on with his newly formed Capitol Records and crossed paths again with Paul Weston, Capitol’s music director. She recorded such hits as "Candy," "Serenade of the Bells," "That’s for Me," and "The Tennessee Waltz." Her first recording for Capitol Records, "How Sweet You Are," reached number 14 on the charts in February of 1944. She later went to New York and performed at the Club Martinique, which was the first and only time she appeared in a night club.

Stafford was also very popular among serviceman during World War II. They dubbed her "G. I. Jo" and she was voted the favorite vocalist by many service personnel. Stafford could frequently be seen visiting military bases and hospitals around the United States. Her rendition of Irving Berlin’s "I Lost My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen" easily invokes memories of that time and shows why she was so highly admired. She has the unique distinction of being voted the favorite female vocalist of service personnel of both the Korean War and World War II. One amusing story came about when she met two American pilots who told her that they were almost court marshaled because of her. They were flying back to England from Germany after a mission, when against military regulations they began listening to Armed Forces Radio. Over their home field, they changed their flight pattern by listening to a band that was playing one of her selections. Instead of turning to the correct band so they could receive their landing instructions, they waited until her song was completed.

By 1946 she had her own radio show, The Chesterfield Supper Club, after a close association with Perry Como. She remained with Capitol Records until 1950 then signed on with Columbia Records. Subsequently The Jo Stafford Show, sponsored by Revere Camera, was added followed by feature roles on the Carnation Hour and Club 15radio shows. During the 1940s she placed nearly 40 songs in the top 20 charts.

The Cold War played another significant part in Stafford’s career. In 1950, she was hired to aid the Truman administration’s anti-Communist effort by becoming a broadcaster at the American funded Radio Luxembourg, working therefor nearly three years. The 200 watt station, Europe’s only commercial station, beamed out over 400 of her broadcasts to over 350 million people with an anti-Communist message to Europe. Another Stafford weekly half hour musical show was also beamed over Europe’s most powerful station. During this period, Frank Lee, then British Director of Radio Luxembourg, said, "In her own quiet way Stafford is selling America to Europe." She also worked for "Voice of America" as a disk jockey and frequently had top name guests, playing their music. In 1952 she headed a bill at London’s prestigious Palladium.

Married Weston
On February 26, 1952 Stafford married Paul Weston and nine months later, their son, Tim was born, followed by a daughter, Amy in 1956. In 1954, she introduced her own television show The Jo Stafford Show on CBS-TV. During her work on television she attended a party of an entertainment executive who was married to Richard Rodger’s sister. Rodgers and his wife were also there and she was given a Rodgers & Hammerstein songbook and asked to sing. One of Rodgers fetishes was disdain for vocalists, who tried to style his music to fit their audiences and not the way he had written the music. With Rodgers at the piano, Stafford sang one of his selections and at the end both Rodgers and his wife indicated their pleasure with her vocal delivery indicating she had sung it exactly as he had written the ballad.

Stafford was later awarded plaques on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame for her records, radio and a third for television. Some of her major hits include: "You Belong to Me," "Shrimp Boats," written by husband Paul Weston, "Make Love to Me," "Jambalaya," "Hey Good Lookin" with Frankie Laine, "Good Night Irene," "Keep it a Secret," and one of her favorite songs, Jerome Kern’s "All the Things You Are." Between 1944 and 1954 she had 75 charted hits.

By the late 1950’ Stafford began to reduce the amount of time spent entertaining others by devoting more time to hertwo young children. Around this time her husband, Paul Weston, then music director of Columbia Records attended a convention in Key West, Florida. Later one evening he was in the bar playing the piano and began playing a comedy routine using the name Jonathan. Two executives from Columbia Records heard his satire and encouraged him to make a recording when he returned to California. He partnered with his wife and called her Darlene. For their comedy routine they selected renditions of popular songs they disliked. The outcome was a series of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards recordings. The results of their second album Jonathan and Darlene in Paris earned them a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1960.

In 1961 the Weston family moved to London for the summer and Stafford did a television series for ATV British network, which was seen in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, as well as in Great Britain. Her guests included Ella Fitzgerald, who she considers the world’s greatestfemale singer, Bob Hope and comedian Peter Sellers.

Sang Folk Songs
Stafford has also teamed up with such notable performers as Frankie Laine, Gordon MacRae, Johnny Mercer, Dick Haymes and others. She combined with Paul Weston to record folk songs from the Appalachian Mountains entitled Jo Stafford Sings American Folk Songs and it marked the first time anyone had recorded folk songs using strings and an orchestra. Folk singer, Judy Collins remarked "Jo Stafford is one of the greatest singers of all time. Her recording of ‘Barbara Allen’ changed my views from Mozart to ‘Both Sides Now’." It was so popular that the American Folklore Society established a Jo Stafford Prize in American Folklore as an endowment for students involved in the study of folklore and folk music that ran for several years in the early 1950s and a folk scholarship at UCLA.

She continued to make recordings up until the mid-60s when she retired because she felt she could not sing the current contemporary music being introduced to the American public. When asked what inspired her over the years, she said "It was the wonderful songwriters and songs that were being created. The music was the cream." She once wrote, "If I had to come up with a one word description of this whole era, it would be ‘Fun’. We had such fun. I think because we took our work very seriously but not ourselves."

Stafford and Weston were involved in philanthropic activities prior to Weston’s death on September 20, 1996. She was president of SHARE, one of Hollywood’s best known charitable organizations which specializes in helping mentally handicapped children. For many years, Weston was active in helping the Crippled Children Societies of California. Today, Jo Stafford lives in Beverly Hills, California and enjoys the pleasure of her four grandchildren.

Selected discography
Sings Broadway’s Best, Columbia, 1953.
Songs of Faith, Capitol, 1954.
Ski Trails, Columbia, 1956.
Happy Holidays, Columbia, 1955.
This Is Jo Stafford, Dot, 1956.
Ballad of the Blues, Columbia, 1959.
I’ll Be Seeing You, Columbia, 1959.
Ballad of the Blues, Columbia, 1959.
I Only Have Eyes For You, Columbia/Snowy Bleach, 1950’s.
Jo + Jazz, Columbia, 1960.
Jo + Blues, Columbia, 1960.
Once Over Lightly, Columbia, 1965.
Getting Sentimental Over Tommy, Reprise, 1965.
Look at Me Now, Bainbridge, 1982.
The Hits of Jo Stafford, Capitol, 1984.
Ski Trails, Corinthian, mid 80’s.
Jonathan & Darlene’s Greatest Hits, Corinthian, mid 80’s.
Jo Stafford, The Portrait Edition, Corinthian & Sony, 1994.
G. I. Jo, Corinthian, 1995.
Broadway Revisited, Corinthian, 1995.

Sources
Clarke, Donald, Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Penguin Books Ltd., 1989.
Eugene, Charles Claghorn, Biographical Dictionary of American Music, Parker Publishing Co., 1973.
Falzarano, Gino, Jo Stafford, the Portrait Edition, Liner Notes Gammond, Peter, The Oxford Companion to Popular Music, Oxford Univ. Press 1993.
Larkin, Colin, Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Volume 5, Guinness Publishing Ltd. 1995.
Lax, Roger and Frederick Smith-The Great Song Thesaurus, Oxford Univ. Press, 1989.
Lees, Gene, Singers &the Song, Oxford University Press, 1987.
Maltin, Leonard, Movie & Video Guide, The Penguin Group, 1995.
Osborne, Jerry, Rockin Records, Osborne Publications, 1999.
Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 1966.
Warner, Jay, The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups, a History 1940-1990, Billboard Books 1992.

Online
http://www.corinthianrecords.com (January, 1999).
Additional information was obtained through two interviews with Jo Stafford on October 25, 1998 and November 1, 1998
Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Jo Stafford

Top
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
  • Genres: Vocal Music

Biography

One of the most technically gifted and popular vocalists of the immediate postwar period, Jo Stafford effortlessly walked the line between breezy pop and the more serious art of post-big-band jazz singing. With the help of her husband, top-flight arranger and Capitol A&R director Paul Weston, Stafford recorded throughout the '40s and '50s for Capitol and Columbia. She also contributed (with Weston) to one of the best pop novelty acts of the period, a hilariously inept and off-key satire that saw the couple billed as Jonathan & Darlene Edwards.

Born near Fresno, CA, Stafford sang from an early age and was classically trained, though she later joined her sisters in a country-tinged act (associated for a time with Joe "Country" Washburne). At the age of just 17, she became the first female voice in the seven-man vocal act known as the Pied Pipers. Soon after the group joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1939, however, it was pruned to a quartet (which also included Stafford's first husband, co-founder John Huddleston). The group appeared on several of the Dorsey band's hits of the early '40s, a few of which paired them with Frank Sinatra. Stafford gained her first solo spots on a pair of Dorsey band hits, "Yes, Indeed!" and "Manhattan Serenade." She finally left the Pied Pipers for a solo contract in 1944 (she was replaced by June Hutton), though the group provided backup for many of her initial solo hits.

Not only signed to Capitol but able to preview hit songs as the co-host of label founder Johnny Mercer's radio program, Stafford hit the charts with the mid-'40s songs "Long Ago (And Far Away)," "I Love You," and "Candy." The latter, a duet with Mercer and the Pied Pipers, became her first number one. In 1948, her duet with Gordon MacRae on "My Darling, My Darling" became her second. She later moved to Columbia and recorded the two biggest hits of her career, 1952's "You Belong to Me" and 1954's "Make Love to Me." Stafford gained her own television program during the mid-'50s, and also recorded the first LP by Jonathan & Darlene Edwards, American Popular Songs. (It wasn't the first time Stafford had used a pseudonym, however; in 1947, she billed herself as Cinderella G. Stump to record a cover of the cornpone single "Temptation [Tim-Tay-Shun].") Though she slipped from the charts in the late '50s and retired from performance, Stafford continued to record for many years and issued the LP Getting Sentimental Over Tommy Dorsey on Reprise in 1963. She also founded Corinthian Records, with Weston, to reissue the couple's various recordings. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Jo Stafford

Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford, ca. July 1946.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb.
Background information
Birth name Jo Elizabeth Stafford
Born November 12, 1917(1917-11-12)
Coalinga, California, USA
Died July 16, 2008(2008-07-16) (aged 90)
Century City, California, USA
Genres Traditional Pop
Years active 1930s–1977 (until 1944, as part of vocal groups)
Labels Capitol, Columbia, Dot, Corinthian
Website Jo Stafford bio presented by Corinthian Records

Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917 – July 16, 2008[1]) was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s. Stafford was greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era.[note 1] She was also viewed as a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris. She was also the first woman to have a No 1 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] Stafford's work in radio, television and music is recognized by three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[4]

Contents

Early years

The singing Stafford Sisters in 1941.

Stafford was born in Coalinga, California in 1917 to Grover Cleveland Stafford and Anna York Stafford, a second cousin of World War I hero Sergeant Alvin York; both parents enjoyed singing and sharing music with their family.[5] Her father had hopes of being a success in the California oil fields when he moved his family from Gainesboro, Tennessee; what he found instead was a succession of various jobs. When he worked for a private girls' school, Grover was allowed to bring the school's phonograph home on Christmas. Stafford remembered hearing "Whispering Hope" on it as a small child. Her mother was an accomplished banjo player, playing and singing many of the folk songs which would become an influence on her daughter's later career.[6]

Stafford's first public singing appearance came in Long Beach, where the family lived when she was 12. She sang "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms", a Stafford family sentimental favorite.[7] Her second was far more dramatic. A student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School with the lead in the school musical, she was on stage rehearsing when a 1933 earthquake hit, destroying the school.[8] Originally, she wanted to become an opera singer and studied voice as a child. However, because of the Great Depression, she abandoned that idea and joined her sisters Christine and Pauline in a popular vocal group, "The Stafford Sisters", which performed on Los Angeles radio station KHJ.[9][10] The sisters got their start on KNX as part of The Singing Crockett Family of Kentucky program when Jo was 18.[5][6]

The sisters managed to find work in the film industry as backup vocalists, and Jo went straight from her high school graduation into working on film soundtracks.[1][6] The Stafford Sisters made their first recording with Louis Prima in 1936.[11] In 1937 she worked behind the scenes with Fred Astaire on the soundtrack of A Damsel in Distress, while subsequently creating the arrangements and, along with her sisters, the backing vocals for "Nice Work If You Can Get It". She claimed that her arrangement had to be adapted as Astaire had difficulty with some of the syncopation, in her words: "The man with the syncopated shoes couldn't do the syncopated notes".[2]

The Pied Pipers

Photo of Stafford when she was with the Pied Pipers.

By 1938, they were involved in the Twentieth Century Fox production of Alexander's Ragtime Band. The studio brought in many vocal groups to work on the film, among them were The Four Esquires, The Rhythm Kings and The King Sisters. With plenty of time between takes, the various groups sang and socialized while waiting to be called to the set. It soon worked out that The Four Esquires and The Rhythm Kings became a new vocal group, The Pied Pipers, which Stafford joined.[6][12] This group consisted of eight members including Stafford: John Huddleston (who was Stafford's husband from 1941 until their divorce in 1943),[9] Hal Hooper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody Newbury, and Dick Whittinghill. As the Pied Pipers, they worked on local radio and movie soundtracks.[13] When Alyce and Yvonne King had a party for their boyfriends' visit to Los Angeles, the Pied Pipers were invited, speedily eating all of the party's food. The King Sisters' boyfriends were Tommy Dorsey's arrangers Axel Stordahl and Paul Weston, who became interested in the group after meeting them there.[6]

After Weston persuaded Dorsey to audition the group in 1938, the eight drove cross-country to New York together for the chance.[6] Dorsey liked them enough to sign them for ten weeks, but after the second broadcast the sponsor heard them and disliked them, firing the group.[14] They stayed in New York for several months,[6] but landed only a single job that paid them just $3.60 each, though they did record four sides for RCA Victor Records. Paul Weston later said that he and Axel Stordahl felt a type of responsibility for the group, since it was Weston who had made the arrangements for their audition with Tommy Dorsey. The two men also felt some embarrassment when running into the Pied Pipers in New York because of this and also because they both were still employed by Dorsey, so they tried avoiding the group.[14]

The Pied Pipers returned to Los Angeles. Soon after getting home, Stafford received a phone call from Dorsey, saying he could use the group, but four members of it only. Half of the group, including their only female vocalist, arrived in Chicago in 1939; this led to success, especially for Stafford, who was also featured in solo performances.[6][15] The group also backed Frank Sinatra in some of his early recordings.[9][12]

In 1942, the group had an argument with Dorsey and left. By this time, it was successful enough in its own right; The Pied Pipers appeared on the radio shows of Sinatra, Bob Crosby and Johnny Mercer. It became one of the first groups signed to Johnny Mercer's new label, Capitol Records.[9][12][16] Paul Weston was Capitol's music director; he had left Tommy Dorsey's band to work with Dinah Shore shortly after Dorsey re-hired the smaller version of the Pied Pipers.[6][17]

Marriages and Family

Stafford married Jay Raye on June 30, 1940 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Their twins, Joseph and Zachery Raye, were born on November 30, 1941 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Stafford and Raye divorced on December 19, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. Her second marriage was to actor Paul Weston on January 29, 1943 in Harlem, New York.

Solo career

Chesterfield Supper Club-April 5, 1946. Jo Stafford and Perry Como broadcasting from a Lockheed Constellation at 20,000 feet.[18][19]

In 1944, Stafford left the Pied Pipers to go solo. Her tenure with the USO, in which she gave countless performances for soldiers stationed in the US, led to her acquiring the nickname "G.I. Jo." [9][14] On returning from the Pacific theater, a veteran told Stafford that the Japanese would play her records on loudspeakers in an attempt to make the US troops homesick enough to surrender; she personally replied to all letters she received from servicemen.[1][6]

Beginning in late 1945, she hosted the Tuesday and Thursday broadcasts of an NBC musical variety radio program — The Chesterfield Supper Club.[20][21] Stafford moved from New York to California in November 1946, but continued to host Chesterfield Supper Club from Hollywood.[22][23] She also had her own radio show which went on the air later on Tuesday nights when she joined the "Supper Club".[24] In 1948, she cut her "Supper Club" appearances to once a week (Tuesdays), with Peggy Lee becoming the host of the Thursday broadcasts.[25] During her time with Chesterfield Supper Club, she remembered and revisited some of the folk music she had heard and enjoyed as a child. Paul Weston, who was the conductor of her "Supper Club" broadcasts, suggested using some of them on the program. With the rediscovery of the folk tunes came an interest in folklore; Stafford established a prize which was awarded to the best collection of American folklore submitted by a college student. The awards were handled by the American Folklore Society.[5]

In 1948 Stafford and Gordon MacRae had a million-seller with their version of "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" and in 1949 repeated their success with "My Happiness". Stafford also recorded the "Whispering Hope" of her childhood memories with MacRae in the same year.[6] Stafford began hosting a weekly Radio Luxembourg radio program in 1950, recording the voice portions of the shows in Hollywood. She contributed her disk jockey talents without pay.[26] At the time, she was also hosting Club 15 for CBS radio, sharing those duties with Bob Crosby much as was done with Perry Como on Chesterfield Supper Club.[5] By 1951, Stafford was also doing weekly radio work for Voice of America. Collier's magazine published an article about the program in its April 21, 1951 issue entitled: Jo Stafford: Her Songs Upset Joe Stalin; this earned Stafford the wrath of the Communist newspaper, the Daily Worker. The newspaper published a column critical of Stafford and VOA.[27]

In 1954, James Conkling, president of Columbia Records, presented Stafford with a diamond-studded plaque to mark the sale of 25 million of her records.

In 1950, she left Capitol for Columbia Records, later returning to Capitol with Weston in 1961.[6] While at Columbia she was the first recording artist to sell 25 million records for that company.[28] Also now at Columbia was Paul Weston, who moved to the label from Capitol. Weston and Stafford were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony on February 26, 1952. Stafford converted to Catholicism prior to the marriage.[6][29] Stafford and Weston left for Europe for their combination honeymoon-business trip; Stafford had an engagement at the London Palladium.[30] They went on to have two children, Tim and Amy.[31][32][33]

In the 1950s, she had a string of popular hits with Frankie Laine, six of which charted; their duet of Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" making the top ten in 1951. It was also at this time that Stafford scored her best known hits with huge records like "Jambalaya," "Shrimp Boats," "Make Love to Me," and "You Belong to Me".[9] The last song was Stafford's all-time biggest hit, topping the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom (the first song by a female singer to top the UK chart).

Publicity photo for The Jo Stafford Show, 1954.

Stafford hosted the 15-minute The Jo Stafford Show on CBS-TV from 1954 to 1955, with Weston as her conductor and music arranger.[34][35][36] While doing her CBS television show, Stafford was named to the 1955 list of Best Dressed Women by the New York Fashion Academy.[37] She appeared as a guest on NBC's Club Oasis and on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, as did many of the popular singers of the late 1950s. In the early 1960s, she hosted a series of television specials called The Jo Stafford Show, centered around music. The shows were produced in England and featured guests, both British and American, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé and Rosemary Clooney.[38]

In 1960, Stafford related there were good and bad points to working closely with her husband. She said that Weston's knowing her so well made it easy for him to arrange music for her, but that it also made it difficult at times, as Weston knew her abilities and would either write or arrange music that was elaborate because he was aware she was capable of performing the song ably. She also said she did not believe she could perform in Broadway musicals as, she believed her voice was not powerful enough for stage work.[39]

During her second stint at Capitol, Stafford also recorded for Frank Sinatra's Reprise label.[40] These albums were released between 1961 and 1964, and were mostly retrospective in nature. Stafford left the label when Sinatra sold it to Warner Brothers. In late 1965, both Stafford and Weston left Capitol again, this time for Dot Records.[41]

Jonathan and Darlene Edwards

Jo Stafford as Cinderella G. Stump with Red Ingle performing their 1947 hit, "Tim-Tay-Shun", on Startime in 1960.

Stafford briefly performed comedy under the name "Cinderella G. Stump" with Red Ingle and the Natural Seven. She recorded a mock hillbilly version of Temptation, which she pronounced "Tim-tayshun", in 1947.[9][42] That was not planned - she met Red Ingle at a recording studio and he told her that his female vocalist had been unable to make the session. She asked if she could help and although Ingle told her it wasn't her sort of thing, she stood in and in a completely impromptu performance, was brilliantly funny, a remarkable example of how a true singer could adapt to any theme and style. It was not known initially that it was her voice on the record.[12][42] Because she had done it in fun on the spur of the moment and accepted standard scale pay, Stafford waived all royalties from the record.[6] Stafford, along with Ingle and Weston, made a personal appearance tour in 1949, turning herself into Cinderella G. Stump to perform the song.[43] Stafford and Ingle performed the song on network television in 1960 for Startime.[44][45] Further success in the comedy genre came about again accidentally.

Throughout the 1950s, Stafford and Paul Weston would entertain guests at parties by putting on a skit in which they assumed the identities of a bad lounge act.[14] Stafford would sing off-key in a high pitched voice; Weston played an untuned piano off key and with bizarre rhythms.[9] It was Paul who innocently began the act at a Columbia Records sales convention, "filling time" with his impression of a dreadful lounge pianist. His audience was very appreciative and continued to ask for more even after the convention was over.[6][46] Columbia Records executive George Avakian gave the character Weston played the name of Jonathan Edwards, a Calvinist preacher, and asked him to record an album under this alias. As Weston thought, he worried that he might not be able to come up with enough material for an entire album alone.[14] He asked his wife to join the project and Stafford then became Darlene Edwards, the off-key vocalist.[47][48]

Finding that she had time left over following a 1957 recording session, Stafford, as a gag, recorded a track as Darlene Edwards. Those who heard bootlegs of the recording responded positively, and later that year, Stafford and Weston recorded an entire album of songs as Jonathan and Darlene, entitled Jo Stafford and Paul Weston Present: The Original Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards, Vocals by Darlene Edwards. As a publicity stunt, Stafford and Weston claimed that the Edwardses were a New Jersey lounge act that they had discovered, and denied any personal connection.

Photo of Jo Stafford from Shower of Stars where she appeared as Darlene Edwards. Also pictured are Jack Benny and singer Tommy Sands.

The ruse triggered a national sensation as the public tried to identify the brazenly off-key singer and the piano player of dubious ability. (Some guessed Margaret and Harry Truman, Time magazine noted.)[12][46] The 1957 Time article exposed that they were in fact the Edwardses.[14][46] The album was followed up with a "pop standards" album, on which the pair intentionally butchered popular music.

The album was a commercial and critical success and proved to be the first commercially successful musical parody album, laying the groundwork for the careers of later "full time" musical parodists such as Mrs. Miller (famous for her off-key rendition of then-popular songs on her Mrs. Miller's Greatest Hits album, along with "Weird Al" Yankovic.

In 1958, the Westons brought the pair to the television screen for a Jack Benny Shower of Stars and to The Garry Moore Show in 1960.[49][50][51]

They continued recording Jonathan and Darlene albums, with their 1960 album, Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris winning that year's Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (they "tied" with Bob Newhart, as the Grammys decided, in a rare move, to issue two comedy awards that year. Newhart was given an award for "Spoken Word Comedy.") It was the only major award that Stafford ever won.[12][14]

The couple continued to release the albums for several years, and in 1979 released a cover of The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" backed with "I Am Woman."[9] The same year also saw a brief resurgence in the popularity of Jonathan and Darlene albums when their cover of "Carioca" was featured as the opening and closing theme to The Kentucky Fried Movie. Their "sing-along" album was blamed by Mitch Miller for putting an end to his sing-along television show and record albums.[52]

Their last release, Darlene Remembers Duke, Jonathan Plays Fats, was issued in 1982.[53][54][55]

Personal life and retirement

Saying she no longer found it "fun", Stafford went into semi-retirement in the mid 1960s,[12] retiring completely from the music business in 1975. Except for the Jonathan and Darlene Edwards material and a recording of her favorite "Whispering Hope" with her daughter Amy, also a singer, Stafford did not perform again until 1990, at a ceremony honoring Frank Sinatra.[6][11][56] The Westons then devoted more of their time to a charity that aids those with developmental disabilities; the couple had been active in the organization for many years.[12][57][58] Concord Records attempted to get Stafford to change her mind and come out of retirement, but she remained adamant.[6]

Stafford won a breach-of-contract lawsuit against her former record label in the early 1990s, which won her the rights to all of her old recordings, including the Jonathan and Darlene recordings. Following the lawsuit, Stafford, along with son Tim, reactivated the Corinthian Records label, which began life as a religious label, that the devout Paul Weston had started. With Paul Weston's help, she compiled a pair of Best of Jonathan and Darlene albums, which were released in 1993.

Death

In 1996, Paul Weston died of natural causes.[9] Stafford continued to operate Corinthian Records. In 2006, she donated her library and her husband's to the University of Arizona.[59] Stafford was inducted into the Big Band Academy of America's "Golden Bandstand" in April 2007.[60]

Stafford began suffering congestive heart failure in October 2007, from which she died on July 16, 2008.[1][61] She was interred with her husband Paul Weston at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.[62]

Discography

Chart hits

Year Title Chart Positions
US UK[63]
1944 "The Trolley Song" (w/ Pied Pipers) 2 —
"Old Acquaintance" 15 —
"How Sweet You Are" 14 —
"Long Ago (and Far Away)" 6 —
"I Love You" 8 —
"It Could Happen to You" 10 —
1945 "That's for Me" 9 —
"Let's Take The Long Way Home" 14 —
"Candy" with Johnny Mercer 2 —
"There's No You" 7 —
"Out Of This World" 9 —
"On The Sunny Side Of The Street" 17 —
1946 "Symphony" 4 —
"Day By Day" 8 —
"This Is Always" 11 —
"You Keep Coming Back Like A Song" 11 —
"The Things We Did Last Summer" 10 —
"White Christmas" 9 —
1947 "Sonata" 10 —
"Ivy" 13 —
"A Sunday Kind Of Love" 15 —
"Temptation (Tim-tayshun)" with Red Ingle & the Natural Seven# 1 —
"I'm So Right Tonight" 21 —
"Feudin' And Fightin'"A 7 —
"The Stanley Steamer" 11 —
"Love And The Weather" 25 —
"The Gentleman Is A Dope" 20 —
"Serenade Of The Bells" 6 —
1948 "The Best Things in Life Are Free" 21 —
"I Never Loved Anyone" 23 —
"I'm My Own Grandmaw" 21 —
"Haunted Heart" 23 —
"Suspicion" 23 —
"Better Luck Next Time" 23 —
"Every Day I Love You (Just A Little Bit More)" 25 —
1949 "Congratulations" 13 —
"Here I'll Stay" 28 —
"Once And For Always" 16 —
"Some Enchanted Evening" 4 —
"Homework" 11 —
"Just One Way To Say I Love You" 12 —
"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" 10 —
"The Last Mile Home" 16 —
"If I Ever Love Again" 20 —
1950 "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)" 14 —
"Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" 30 —
"Play A Simple Melody" 18 —
"Sometime" 27 —
"If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time" 14 —
"Goodnight, Irene" 26 —
"No Other Love" 10 —
1951 "Tennessee Waltz" 7 —
"If" 8 —
"It is No Secret" 15 —
"Somebody" 12 —
"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"(w/ Frankie Laine) 17 —
"Kissing Bug Boogie" 20 —
"Shrimp Boats" 2 —
"Pretty-Eyed Baby" (w/ Frankie Laine) 13 —
"Gambella (The Gamblin' Lady)" (w/ Frankie Laine) 19 —
"Hey Good Lookin'" (w/ Frankie Laine) 9 —
1952 "Hambone" (w/ Frankie Laine) 6 —
"A-Round The Corner" 9 —
"Tonight We're Settin' the Woods on Fire" (w/ Frankie Laine) 21 —
"You Belong to Me" 1 1
"Jambalaya" 3 11
"Early Autumn" 23 —
1953 "Keep It A Secret" 4 —
"Chow Willy" (w/ Frankie Laine) 25 —
"(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I" 16 —
"Without My Lover" 27 —
"Just Another Polka" 22 —
"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (w/ Frankie Laine) 26 —
1954 "Make Love to Me!" 1 8
"Indiscretion" 30 —
"Thank You for Calling" 12 —
1955 "Teach Me Tonight" 15 —
"Suddenly There's a Valley" 13 12
1956 "All Night Long" 99 —
"It's Almost Tomorrow" 14 —
"Love Me Good" 62 —
"With a Little Bit of Luck" 85 —
"On London Bridge" 38 —
1957 "Wind in the Willow" 53 —
1959 "Pine Top's Boogie" 105 —

| * # peaked at #2 on the country charts

Albums

Notable songs

Solo

With Frankie Laine

With Gordon MacRae

With Johnny Mercer


Notes

  1. ^ Stafford had a reputation for perfect pitch, but she dismissed this, claiming only to be a careful singer with good relative pitch.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Heckman, Don (18 July 2008). "Jo Stafford; singer gained fame with WWII soldiers and in '50s". Boston.com. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2008/07/18/jo_stafford_singer_gained_fame_with_wwii_soldiers_and_in_50s/. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  2. ^ a b Interview by Michael Feinstein, Bonus Tracks on Stafford, Jo (2003). Ballad of the Blues (Audio CD). Feinery. 
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 28. ISBN 0-85156-156-X. 
  4. ^ "Jo Stafford-Hollywood Walk of Fame". LA Times. http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/jo-stafford/. Retrieved 11 January 2011. 
  5. ^ a b c d "Jo Stafford of CBS 'Club 15'". The Sherbrooke Telegram. 23 February 1950. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T7VNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VkQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1860,7232176&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Jo Stafford". The Telegraph. 17 July 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2419478/Jo-Stafford.html. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  7. ^ Kleiner, Dick (5 August 1954). "The Marquee". The Telegraph-Herald. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o2pFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SrwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=7354,684630&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  8. ^ Leonard, Vince (19 March 1964). "Jo Stafford Easy Talker". The Pittsburgh Press. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MGEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AU8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7674,1278242&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jo Stafford, singer known as 'GI Jo'". The Press Democrat. 19 July 2008. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=skAqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XEwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6996,3911159&dq=red+ingle&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  10. ^ "Jo Stafford". Parabrisas.com. http://www.parabrisas.com/d_staffordj.php. 
  11. ^ a b Friedwald, William (18 July 2008). "Jo Stafford, 90, Singer of Swing, Standards, and Lampoons". New York Sun. http://www.nysun.com/obituaries/jo-stafford-90-singer-of-swing-standards/82157/. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Bernstein, Adam (2008-07-18). "Jo Stafford, 90; Pop Singer Won a Grammy for Comedy". The Washington Post: pp. B7. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701955.html. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 
  13. ^ Pied Pipers Ad. Billboard. 1943. p. 56. http://books.google.com/books?id=5B8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&dq=beat+the+band+como&source=bl&ots=sIcIGGPtzc&sig=BYRgwK53GCT5dyzHoT1929kE0mk&hl=en&ei=jJ4FTaPjA8GVnwfwk-3lDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBjgU#v=onepage&q=beat%20the%20band%20como&f=false. Retrieved 12 December 2010. 
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Hall, Fred, ed. (1989). Dialogues in swing:intimate conversations with the stars of the big band era. Pathfinder Publishing of California. p. 52. ISBN 0934793190. http://books.google.com/books?id=mbO19W7pE-IC&pg=PA52&dq=jonathan+darlene+edwards&hl=en&ei=Mya8TerCLNLAtgfG2ezBBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CFgQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=jonathan%20darlene%20edwards&f=false. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  15. ^ Roberts. T.C. (5 November 1987). "Announcer remembers top bands of the past". The Vindicator. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p_ZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HoUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2457,3130948&dq=elmo+tanner&hl=en. Retrieved 24 January 2011. 
  16. ^ "Girlish Voice". Time. 1 July 1946. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803776,00.html. Retrieved 28 June 2010. 
  17. ^ Popa, Christopher (December 2007). "Paul Weston". Big Band Music. http://www.bigbandlibrary.com/paulweston.html. Retrieved 3 February 2011. 
  18. ^ "Big Plane To Serve As Broadcast Studio". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 28 March 1946. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iuMcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mWQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1527,6651826&dq=perry+como&hl=en. Retrieved 24 October 2010. 
  19. ^ BCL (8 April 1946). "Flyin' High". The Milwaukee Journal. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mh0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ECUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1922,3325213&dq=martin+block&hl=en. Retrieved 30 October 2010. 
  20. ^ "Actresses and Vocalists Star On Networks". Youngstown Vindicator. 9 December 1945. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ty5JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-YMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4368,2971749&dq=perry+como&hl=en. Retrieved 29 November 2010. 
  21. ^ Full-page ad for the Chesterfield Supper Club (page 78). Life Magazine. 13 January 1947. http://books.google.com/books?id=TEoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&dq=perry+como&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=3&cd=25#v=onepage&q=perry%20como&f=false. Retrieved 30 June 2010. 
  22. ^ Ad for 'Chesterfield Supper Club'. Life. 13 January 1947. http://books.google.com/books?id=TEoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&dq=chesterfield+supper+club&hl=en&ei=rszvTK_HJsfungfPqvWBCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=chesterfield%20supper%20club&f=false. Retrieved 26 November 2010. 
  23. ^ Music--As Written. Billboard. 2 November 1946. http://books.google.com/books?id=ERoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT29&dq=chesterfield+supper+club&hl=en&ei=M5icTennOqi00QG-2eDbAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwADge#v=onepage&q=chesterfield%20supper%20club&f=false. Retrieved 6 April 2011. 
  24. ^ "Actresses and Vocalists Star on Networks". Youngstown Vindicator. 9 December 1945. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ty5JAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-YMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4368,2971749&dq=perry+como&hl=en. Retrieved 30 October 2010. 
  25. ^ Dunning, John, ed. (1998). On the air: the encyclopedia of old time radio. Oxford University Press USA. pp. 840. ISBN 0195076788. http://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=chesterfield+supper+club&source=bl&ots=H4zKbUA0Br&sig=chyBsPTHW5ciO5txTs69pFS9OLk&hl=en&ei=Rj8pTNnOIJWknQfwu9SLAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CC8Q6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=chesterfield%20supper%20club&f=false. Retrieved 30 June 2010. 
  26. ^ Thomas, Bob (31 January 1950). "Chirper Jo Stafford Spins U.S. Records For Europeans". Eugene Register-Guard. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ACpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uQsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5559,614177&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  27. ^ "Uncle Sam's Gal Jo Upsets Joe Stalin". The Pittsburgh Press. 8 July 1951. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r2IbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2478,2671450&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  28. ^ "Jo Stafford to Wear $2 Million in Jewels". Reading Eagle. 1 May 1954. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HAwrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WZoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6895,29828&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  29. ^ "Jo Stafford Weds Composer". Meridien Record. 26 February 1952. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vpFHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-f4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3415,5348997&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  30. ^ "Jo Stafford and Paul Weston Wed". St. Joseph News-Press. 27 February 1952. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Nt5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IUINAAAAIBAJ&pg=3485,1244528&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  31. ^ Stafford, Jo (June 1953). "Blessed, Tiny Timothy". Radio-TV Mirror. http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Magz_pdf/Radio%20TV%20Mirror/RTV_Mirror_53_06.pdf. Retrieved 18 November 2010.  (PDF)
  32. ^ "Jo Stafford Has Son". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 20 November 1952. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Bl0eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1846,1107331&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  33. ^ "Jo Stafford Has Girl". Youngstown Vindicator. 2 March 1956. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WpM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=olUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3163,366929&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  34. ^ Thomas, Bob (3 February 1954). "Hollywood Report". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tdwpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JMgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2267,521222&dq=perry+como&hl=en. Retrieved 7 September 2010. 
  35. ^ Robertson, Hal (30 May 1954). "In This TV Family-The Little Woman Takes Orders". The Milwaukee Sentinel. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PmpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-g8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3730,6905529&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  36. ^ Graham, Sheilah (25 February 1955). "Hollywood". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d8ZRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6GoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1297,7529982&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  37. ^ "Mamie, Maggie Head List of Best Dressed". The Pittsburgh Press. 21 March 1955. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CWAbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2U0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1579,1722724&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  38. ^ Kloss, Gerald (26 January 1964). "Pick A Hot Pop". The Milwaukee Journal. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yVUaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WScEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5254,2754957&dq=red+ingle&hl=en. Retrieved 9 January 2011. 
  39. ^ Kleiner, Dick (26 November 1960). "Hubby Writes It And Jo Warbles". The Southeast Missourian. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QBYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2710,5198621&dq=paul+weston&hl=en. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  40. ^ Talent Topics. Billboard. 3 November 1962. http://books.google.com/books?id=CBgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT13&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en&ei=iMijTaX0FKfF0QGH2_D3CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBTjyAg#v=onepage&q=jo%20stafford&f=false. Retrieved 11 April 2011. 
  41. ^ Jo Stafford's Dot LP Out in January. Billboard. 23 October 1965. http://books.google.com/books?id=KCkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en&ei=oECjTb2HLojltgfciOGSAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CE4Q6AEwCThk#v=onepage&q=jo%20stafford&f=false. Retrieved 11 April 2011. 
  42. ^ a b First Annual Jockey Poll. Billboard. 2 August 1947. http://books.google.com/books?id=xgwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT30&dq=red+ingle&hl=en&ei=YzkCTs27KYLY0QGcx9TEDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=red%20ingle&f=false. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 
  43. ^ General Artists Corporation trade ad for Jo Stafford. Billboard. 5 November 2011. http://books.google.com/books?id=Fg4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT8&lpg=PT8&dq=red+ingle&source=bl&ots=JGjI9NbrHi&sig=bSrkA_VGmhN1SINxfwLpXqozsSY&hl=en&ei=5Es-Ten0J8qs8Aal-PyACw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CDYQ6AEwBjhG#v=onepage&q=red%20ingle&f=false. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  44. ^ Nostalgia With Let-Down Trimming. Billboard. 14 March 1960. http://books.google.com/books?id=qB8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=jo+stafford&hl=en&ei=ZN6jTdWLCKXx0gHLnbz-CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwATj-Aw#v=onepage&q=jo%20stafford&f=false. Retrieved 12 April 2011. 
  45. ^ "Ford Startime 8 March 1960". Classic TV Archive. http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/FordStartime.htm. Retrieved 21 June 2011. 
  46. ^ a b c "Music:Two Right Hands". Time. 23 September 1957. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,893722,00.html. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  47. ^ Moore, James Ross (2001). "American National Biography: Paul Weston". http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-03562-print.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  48. ^ Lees, Gene (1989). Singers and the Song: G.I. Joe. Oxford University Press. pp. 272. ISBN 0195060873. http://bellsouthpwp.net/h/o/holaday/JosPage/jobyglee.htm. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  49. ^ "Shower of Stars newspaper ad". The Deseret News. 9 January 1958. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WolaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DkoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7067,1606554&dq=paul+weston&hl=en. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  50. ^ "Shower of Stars Episode #4.4". IMDB. 9 January 1958. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0700148/. Retrieved 7 September 2011. 
  51. ^ "TV Previews". Lawrence Journal-World. 11 October 1960. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dsMxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=buUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3849,813600&dq=jonathan+darlene+edwards&hl=en. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  52. ^ Moore, James Ross (2001). "Paul Weston". American National Biography. http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-03562-print.html. Retrieved 12 April 2011. 
  53. ^ "Darlene Remembers Duke, Jonathan Plays Fats". Billboard.biz. 28 March 1982. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/others/darlene-remembers-duke-jonathan-plays-fats-936978.story. Retrieved 2 May 2011. 
  54. ^ New LP, Tape Releases. Billboard. 10 April 1982. http://books.google.com/books?id=AyQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT18&lpg=PT18&dq=darlene+remembers+duke+jonathan+plays+fats&source=bl&ots=oOlQE0KmXm&sig=ROiBasETlOZG-oeuXrtyn_dABa0&hl=en&ei=BTe8TdKPCari0QHP9ZnQBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=darlene%20remembers%20duke%20jonathan%20plays%20fats&f=false. Retrieved 2 May 2011. 
  55. ^ Pietschmann, Richard J. (December 1982). "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards Talk!". Los Angeles Magazine. http://classic-web.archive.org/web/19991012134825/http://corinthianrecords.com/intv.htm. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  56. ^ "Jo Stafford: beguiling and versatile jazz singer". Times Online. 19 July 2008. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4359094.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=1972202. 
  57. ^ Bacon, James (10 May 1958). "Stars Donate Service, Money For Handicapped Children". Warsaw Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bLRGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bXsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4682,1102376&dq=paul+weston&hl=en. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 
  58. ^ "Paul Weston Work Center, Woodland Hills". AbilityFirst. http://www.abilityfirst.org/locations/work_center_woodlandhills.aspx. Retrieved 28 January 2011. 
  59. ^ "Paul Weston and Jo Stafford archive at the University of Arizona". http://web.cfa.arizona.edu/westonstafford/. 
  60. ^ Popa, Christopher (April 2007). "Big Band News". Big Band Library. http://www.bigbandlibrary.com/bigbandnewsapril2007.html. Retrieved 1 April 2011. 
  61. ^ "Singer Jo Stafford dies aged 90". BBC News. 19 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7515323.stm. 
  62. ^ Jo Stafford at Find a Grave
  63. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 523. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links

Listen

Jo Stafford
Studio albums
Compilation albums
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Year unknown
Duets with Gordon MacRae
Duets with Frankie Laine
Duets with others
Jonathan and Darlene Edwards
Related articles
Cast
Bands
  • Ted Steele (Perry Como: New York 1944)
  • Lloyd Shaffer (Perry Como: New York 1945 – 1948)
  • Mitchell Ayres (Perry Como: New York 1948 – 1950)
  • Paul Weston (Jo Stafford: Los Angeles 1947 –)
  • Dave Barbour (Peggy Lee: Los Angeles 1948 –)
Announcers
Albums

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Gale Musician Profiles. Contemporary Musicians © 1989-2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists. Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Jo Stafford.  Read more

Related answers
» More
Answer these
» More
Follow us
Facebook Twitter
YouTube

Mentioned in

» More» More