Jo Stafford, a short tribute!

Jo Stafford died July 16, 2008.  She was 90 when she died, and had had a long and successful career.  An extremely successful singer, she was a peer of Frank Sinatra and others of the big band era.  Unlike many, she married well to a music arranger, Paul Weston, and they stayed married from 1952 to 1996 when her husband died.

As a sign of her “normalcy” she retired in the mid 60s to live a happy and quiet home life.

She represents the end of an era when singers nearly always had the training and vocal chops to sing straight up and loud.  And although not associated with the Rock’ n Roll era, in fact, her smooth ballads were copied by singers of the urban R &R now known as doo-wop.

Here are two cuts.  Aren’t they wonderful?  Although now gone, for me, she will live forever. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H1Imb6jm0U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R4hZk-1fpo&feature=related