About Kay Starr
Kay Starr was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multiple genres, such as pop, jazz, and country, but her roots were in jazz. Her 1952 song "Wheel of Fortune" was a smash hit, and later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Additionally, she had big hits with "Allez-Vous-En" and "If You Love Me " in 1953 and 1954, respectively. At age 16, Starr recorded her first tracks with Miller's orchestra: "Baby Me" and "Love with a Capital 'You'". She sang frequently around the house which caught the attention of her aunt, with whose help she took part in a local talent contest and won at the age of seven. She was discovered by jazz violinist Joe Venuti, who had obtained a contract to perform at the Peabody Hotel in the summer of 1937. In 1948 when the American Federation of Musicians was threatening a strike, Capitol wanted to have each of its singers record a back list for future release.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.