Jill Corey (born September 30, 1935) is a retired American traditional pop singer. ...show more

Jill Corey (born September 30, 1935) is a retired American traditional pop singer.

Nee Norma Jean Speranza in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, about forty miles east of Pittsburgh, a coal mining community, Corey was the youngest of five children. She began singing as an imitator of Carmen Miranda at family gatherings and on amateur shows in grade school (never winning any prizes, usually finishing last).

At the age of 13, she began to develop her own style. She won first prize at a talent contest sponsored by the Lions Club, entitling her to sing a song on a local radio station. This got her invited to have her own program. By the age of 14 she was working seven nights a week, earning $5 a night, with a local orchestra led by Johnny Murphy. By the age of 17 she was a local celebrity talent.

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