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About The Artist In Progress...
She was born in 1926 and named Jean Vadala by her parents. She grew up in Carbondale, PA. She gained a reputation in the area's "barn dance circuit" as young singer "of the Western-style category." In the summer of 1952, she had completed an engagement in Chicago when a television headliner named Milton Berle recruited her for his show. Nate Gross wrote a column about Jean in the summer of 1952 in his column that wrote of the happenings in the local Chicago night club scene. The Scrantonian wrote of her early career in a September 1952 article.
Jean left Carbondale when she was about 17. Since that time, she had resided in Syracuse, NY and New Jersey, too. A former resident of Carbondale was in Chicago around the same time and tried to contact her. Unfortunately his timing was such that he had found she had left Chicago with her troupe after their engagement at the Chez Paree ended. He left his phone number at the club and to his surprise, she called him back and the chatted about their common interests back in Carbondale. He told the local Scranton newspaper he wanted the local folks to know that "one of our own" had reached a peak in the entertainment world." "Berle found a spot for Jean in his show after seeing her act with a group known as the "Mountaineers." Jean specializes as a yodeler of Western ditties, letting off same with what the columnist called a "deadpan delivery which is a source of laughter to Chez Paree audiences which for the first time witnessed this type of country entertainment." Nate Gross, the Chicago Herald-American reporter noted that Berle had signed Jean and the Mountaineers to "provide authentic background for his act in which he emerges as a "Cousin Elmer." That 1952 article also indicates she had done two recordings and had written two tunes, "Million Tears" and "How Could I Live." Jean Valli was a well-known hillbilly-singer in the 1950s. At one time she had her own band. She accampanied herself with a bass fiddle and guitar. She was known as a top Yodeler, singer, author and composer of western songs. By 1952, she had appeared with such stars as Elton Britt, Hank Williams, Milton Berle, Smiley Burnett, Shorty Warren, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper and Kate Smith. Other television appearances in the 1950s included the ABC network show, "Hormell Girl's Show" and "Uncle Tom George's NBC Country Talent Search." She first got attention when she was 11 or 12 years old with her singing and musical talents. Her family decided to help her develop those talents a bit. She worked hard and was gaining recognition and praise that she decied to try working on the stage as a profession. In 1964, Billy Wilson told readers of his column that Jean had returned from a tour of Labrador and was opening at the Coral Bar in Paterson, NJ. She was also said to have signed a contract for a recording session by Vito Mass Productions. Jean also did a guest shot on the Pete Williams television show in Schenectady, NY.
Her parents had an initial misgiving about her choice at the time. But they relented and put a condition on her start that if she didn't do well and keep up a high standard, she would give it up. But, she did well in her debut and her parents were proud of her talents. After that, her parents were easily reconciled to their daughter's choice of a profession.
A song folio from 1954 displays her songwriting talents which included:
Credits & Sources
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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)
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