Death Summary:

Who was Jo Stafford: Stafford died of congestive heart failure on July 13, 2008. She was 90 years old. Her son, Tim Weston of Topanga, said she had been in declining health since October. Jo Stafford was greatly appreciated for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile singers of her era. Currently she is viewed as a pioneer of the parody music trend. When she was younger she joined an up and coming vocal group called "The Pied Pipers". The group consisted of eight members... John Huddleston (who was Stafford's husband), Hal Hooper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody Newbury, and Dick Whittinghill. They became a very popular group, working for radio and the movie industry for soundtracks. After a few missteps, The Pied Pipers joined up with Tommy Dorsey's big band in 1939 giving the group the success they had worked so hard for. Stafford was even featured in a few solo performances. The group even went on to back Frank Sinatra in some of his early studio sessions. Stafford eventually left the big band scene to focus on a very lucrative solo career. She played often for the USO; she even acquired the nickname "GI Jo" In the 1950's Stafford had a slew of hit songs, but probably her most famous was a duet with Hank Williams entitled "Hey Good Lookin". Stafford retired from the music business in 1975. She performed only a few more times in her life, one such performance was in honor of Frank Sinatra in 1990

Categories: Music.