She was hired by Jimmy Dorsey when she was 14 years old. Dorsey believed she was 19, and when he was informed by the school board that he was now responsible for her care, he fired her. In 1942, at the age of 17, she joined Freddie Slack's band, with whom in the same year she recorded "Cow Cow Boogie," Capitol Records' first gold single.
In 1943 she began recording solo. She sang in a wide variety of styles, and and she had hits on both the pop and rhythm and blues charts. However, she never became a major star. She retired in 1957.