A big band singer who found hits in the early rock and roll era, then kept recording standards.
For a quick sense of her range, try 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'After You've Gone.' They show how she moved between eras without losing that voice.
Starr's voice had that smoky quality that worked whether she was singing bluesy gospel or early rock. 'Wheel of Fortune' became a hit in the early 1950s, and she put her stamp on standards like 'After You've Gone' and 'Changing Partners.' She recorded through the 1950s with albums like 'Moanin' Low' in 1950, staying rooted in that vocal tradition even as styles shifted.
She started singing in local churches and juke joints in Oklahoma, drawing from blues and gospel. Charlie Barnet hired her as a vocalist in 1944, and by 1947 she'd signed with Capitol Records and released her debut album, 'The Song Is You.' Her career spanned the transition from big band vocalist to early rock and roll.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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