retroman

Discovered her obituary in today's Guardian. One of the finest female vocalists of the mid 20th century, Jo Stafford was the first female to have a number one hit in the UK (and indeed was the 2nd number one of the Hit Parade after Al Martineau) with the classic You Belong to me. A sad loss in the music world.

"I've agreed with you from the first about the danger. But now I think you are utterly mistaken".

Marky B

Yes,it is one of those songs that I would love to get a recording of. A great voice indeed,very mature voice for her age at the time the song was recorded (approx 35 years old).
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Jackdaw

Very much a star from my childhood - I particularly remember her versions of Jambalaya and Shrimp Boats.
Does anyone recall the spoof cabaret act that she did with her husband, Paul Weston?
RIP.

Freddie Freeloader

Indeed I do.

Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, as they were known.

In 1982 I worked on the QE2 and they were passengers for a few weeks.
Jo was extremely private and elusive but Paul used to come and sit by my piano and hang out.
We often went to the midnight buffet where he was quite happy to chat about his association with Tommy Dorsey, Ella, Sinatra, Danny Kaye and all the legendary musicians from the thirties and forties.

Gary D.

That comes as a shock to me about Jo Stafford's death. For years, I kept wanting one of her songs--'Ivy.' Then, when I got onto the Internet, one day I sat down and googled, 'Jo Stafford Ivy,' and up it came. I ordered the CD and enjoyed listening to all the songs. As you probably know, she was known to have perfect pitch.

Another good combination was her and the also late, and great, Gordon MacRae, in 'Whispering Hope.' I don't know who came up with the idea of putting their voices together--perhaps it was Paul Weston--but the combination was one of great beauty.

When I was trying to locate 'Ivy,' I heard Paul Weston on a local Phoenix radio program, got his address, and wrote him. I was surprised to receive a long reply back from him--not typewritten but in longhand, on lined paper. He agreed with me that 'Ivy' was a beautiful song, but, unforturnately he and Jo didn't own the rights to it, and suggested I try Capitol Records. I did, but received no response.

The Westons were very nice people. My sister had a friend, who, among other things, hung wallpaper for the stars--Paul Weston and Jo Stafford among them. He said they were very gracious, and when he inquired about the Jonathan Edwards song (where Jo sang completely off-key--hard to imagine), they sent him the album.

Gary Judkins

johng

I think it was said at the time that in the recording with Gordon Macrae that the two never even met for the recording. The two voices were recorded on opposite sides of the Atlantic and then put together? Whether true or false I do not know

Andy H

Very sad to hear this news. I first heard Jo Stafford about 15 years ago and the song 'It could happen to you' wormed its way into my head. Eventually I got around to buying a CD of her songs and found another beautiful number ''Long ago and far away', which is so wonderfully sung and orchestrated that I sometimes play it a few times in a row just to hear the fantastic talent that went into it.
This is the kind of music that I would often hear on the radiogram when we went to visit my Aunts and Uncles on a Sunday afternoon in the late 50's.
Wonderful.

bhowells

I didnt catch The David Jacobs Collecton on Radio Two last Sunday, Desmond Carrington and Rusell Davies will mention her in future editions of their show too I shouldnt wonder.

Arthur Linden-Jones

Got 2 of my favourites of hers amongst my mp3 collection - Shrimp Boats and You Belong To me (See the Pyramids Across the Nile ...)

This is war Wilson, not Sainsburys!

retroman

.. and even more likely Malcolm Laycock I would have thought, who ironically featured her the weekend before last.

"I've agreed with you from the first about the danger. But now I think you are utterly mistaken".