Often called "America's Most Versatile Singer" for the wide range of material she performed, the lovely Jo Stafford is (unbelievably) 89 years old today!
Jo was indeed versatile, as her singing career stretched across genres, from her early beginnings in vocal harmony groups such as The Pied Pipers in the 1930s, to big band fame with Tommy Dorsey, and later with her soon-to-become husband Paul Weston. She was one of the darlings of the forces during WW2, and eventually hit TV success in the 1950s with her own variety show, singing with guests such as Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland.
Jo and Paul had a long and happy personal and professional partnership, but to my mind their greatest creation was the parody of all things "lounge", the amazing Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. First created as a party piece for friends, the enfants terrible of bad vocals and bad musical arrangements gained a cult "life" of their own, with several hugely successful albums, even winning a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in the 1960s.
Just in case anyone fails to understand their unique magic, here's a sample of their classic style:
And if you might think that is is the sum total of the lovely Jo Stafford's talents, here's an appearance from one of her shows that demonstrates what a great singer she really was:
Jo Stafford on Wikipedia
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