Jo Stafford's country background

Jo Stafford died on 16 July at the age of 90. Even those who were around in the late 1940s and early 1950s - the height of her career as a popular singer - may not be aware that her 600+ recordings ranged from swing (with the Tommy Dorsey band), jazz, and blues to Scottish, religious, country, and novelty numbers, and even further afield.

She was born in California into a family from Tennessee, and her father brought home a recording of the old song 'Whispering hope' (later recorded more than once by her, and by Don Reno & Red Smiley among others). Moreover, 'her mother, Anne, had been an adroit performer on the five-string banjo, and the folk music of Tennessee was to remain an influence on Jo's voice and some of her later repertoire' (Daily Telegraph).

The Washington Post obituary can be read here and the Daily Telegraph obituary here. The latter mentions her son Tim, a guitarist and record producer - not to be confused with Tim Stafford, founder, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of Blue Highway.