She was as fine a musical artist as any in the 20th century, up there in a group that included Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee. Jo Stafford, who died July 16 at age 90, sang directly in the center of the note, and her sound was as clear as a Spanish town at noon. Stafford was also remarkable for the diversity of the material she tackled. She was one of the greatest ballad singers who ever lived, but she sang pop songs–her 1952 hit You Belong to Me sold 2 million copies–as well as folk music, country songs and novelty numbers. For a very successful period, Stafford and her husband, arranger Paul Weston (above, left), satirized popular singing under the names of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Stafford sang deliberately off-key; Weston played a ghastly, oversentimentalized piano. People loved it.
During World War II and the Korean War, Stafford toured extensively, performing for U.S. servicemen. She was shy and neither greatly beautiful nor a huge theatrical presence. But because she was so dignified and understated, soldiers could identify with her. When she sang, servicemen overseas felt as if they were at home. Although she was a major star, she was a modest person who would have seemed out of place in a limousine. She was like a girl on a bus, always heading toward the music.