Heeeere's.... Jill!

Artist: Jill Corey
Song: I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me) (a-side) (b-side is Egghead)
Label: Columbia 4-40794
Number: ZSP 39414
Songwriters: B. Green - Warren
Time: 2:11
Released: November 12th, 1956

Jill Corey was born Norma Jean Speranza in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, on September 30th, 1935. She won a talent contest sponsored by the local Lion's Club, and this led to her singing the song on the radio. From this, she got her own radio show - all at the age of 13! By the ripe old age of 14, she was working 7 nights a week. By 17, she was a local celebrity. From a simple recording she made in her home town, her talents came to the attention of Mitch Miller. He was so impressed that he immediately telephoned her and the next day, she flew up to New York so he could hear her in a more natural studio setting. He was so enthralled by her voice that she was offered a Columbia recording contract that same day! From these beginnings, she started to appear on television programs of the era such as The Steve Allen Show, Person To Person hosted by Edward R. Murrow, The Robert Q. Lewis Show and Ed Sullivan's Toast Of The Town. She even became a regular for 9 months on Johnny Carson's show. She also appeared in motion pictures such as Senior Prom. In 1961, she married Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player Don Hoak and gave up her career. He died tragically 8 years later and she returned to her previous life of performing onstage. She still performs and loves to birdwatch in Central Park. Talk about a well-rounded career!
Her only album for Columbia was entitled Sometimes I'm Happy, Sometimes I'm Blue, from 1958. It featured songs grouped together by theme with a side of songs from the Roaring Twenties and a side of torch songs and ballads. Today's song is in the same style as side one of her album, and which she sang live on Ed Sullivan's show on January 20th, 1957. It is entitled I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me). It features Jimmy Carroll and his Orchestra backing her up and the arrangement is quite catchy. It was also her first major hit record. Thrill along with the voice that still thrills audiences to this day and download Jill Corey as she belts out I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me).