Jo Stafford

Jo Elizabeth Stafford ( born November 12, 1917 in Coalinga, California, † July 16, 2008 in Century City, Los Angeles ) was an American pop and jazz singer.

The Early Years

Jo, was born as the daughter of the couple Grover Cleveland Stafford and Anna York Stafford, a distant cousin of Sergeant Alvin York. Because she wanted to be an opera singer originally, she took classical singing lessons and also learned to play the piano. During the world economic crisis of 1929 gave these plans, however, and joined right after graduating from high school her sisters Christine and Pauline. Together, they were as successful vocal group, had radio appearances and sang background music in movies. Your first radio show was "Californian Melodies " under the direction of Davis Boekman; then the sisters had a fifteen- minute show at the transmitter WHJ, at the Jo Stafford worked as a pianist at the same time. The Staffords were also involved in the music for the films " Damsel in Distress " and " Alexander 's Ragtime Band "; at work in this film she learned Chuck Lowry, John Huddleston and the guitarist Clark Yocum, with whom she later the vocal ensemble The Pied Pipers formed.

The Pied Pipers

After the marriage of her sisters, the group broke apart and Jo joined a new band, The Pied Pipers, at. The group quickly became popular and worked in local radio stations and on soundtracks of movies. Here, Axel Stordahl and Paul Weston, two producers of Tommy Dorsey aware of the band. 1938 Weston persuaded Dorsey, The Pied Pipers to commit to his radio show in New York. Dorsey gave them a contract for ten weeks. After broadcasting the second program, however, the sponsor of the radio station expressed his displeasure about the band and they were fired. After that, she worked with Frank Sinatra.

Solo career

After Jo Stafford left the Pied Pipers, they worked with Johnny Mercer, who had co-founded the record label Capitol Records in 1942. Mercer took her on as a soloist. In the 1950s, she continued her successful career; their biggest hits were Embraceable You, It Could Happen to You, The Night We Called it a Day, Long Ago and Far Away, No Other Love, the most successful but it was titled You Belong to Me

Comedian

With her husband Paul Weston, she worked in the 1960s together as a comedy act. For the album " Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris", she received the 1961 Grammy for best album of the genre. Stafford but withdrew after 1966 increasingly from the music business in order to take care of her family. A (of old recordings rehearsed ) " cameo " has Jo Stafford on Charlie Haden's album " Haunted Heart " from 1990.

Discography

As a soloist

• " Day By Day "
• " Early Autumn "
• " Feudin 'and Fightin' "
• " Goodnight Irene" ( better known version by The Weavers )
• "Here I'll Stay "
• " I Love You"
• " Indiscretion "
• " It Could Happen To You"
• "It's Almost Tomorrow" ( better known version by The Dream Weavers )
• "Ivy"
• " Jambalaya "
• " Just One Way To Say I Love You"
• "The Last Mile Home "
• "Let 's Take the Long Way Home "
• " Long Ago ( And Far Away ) "
• "Make Love to Me! "
• " No Other Love "
• "On London Bridge "
• "Out Of This World"
• " Ragtime Cowboy Joe"
• " Serenade Of the Bells "
• " Some Enchanted Evening"
• "Suddenly There's a Valley "
• "Symphony"
• " Teach Me Tonight"
• " Thank You for Calling"
• "That's For Me"
• " There's No You"
• " The Things We Did Last Summer "
• " You Belong to Me"
• "White Christmas"

In a duet with Gordon MacRae

• " 'A' You're Adorable "
• " My Darling, My Darling "
• " Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart"
• " Whispering Hope"

In a duet with Johnny Mercer

• Candy

In a duet with Red Ingle

• Timtayshun

In a duet with Frankie Laine

• Christmas Roses