Jerri Winters, born in 1930, was a singer from Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1948, she won top honors o nHorace Heidt’s radio program and toured as a singer with the show. Later, she moved to Chicago, where she worked as a model and a dance instructor at Arthur Murray’s dance studio. In early 1952, she was selected from 500 contestants to join the Stan Kenton band, replacing June Christy. The search was sponsored by disc jockey Gene Norman in Hollywood. Jerri stayed with Kenton for only five months, which served as both a testing ground and a crucial phase in her growth as a singer. She later established herself as a soloist in New York’s East Side club scene, earning a reputation for her silky and dusky vocal style, which led to her being dubbed “the girl with the mink-lined voice.” In 1955, she recorded her first album, “Winter’s Here,” for the Fraternity label. She went on to release two more albums in 1957 and 1962. Jerri continued to perform live until she retired in 1969. In 1981, she made a comeback, performing in Los Angeles clubs until 1984, when she left the stage for good.

—Jordi Pujol (Taken from the back liner-notes of FSRV 142)