By her teens, Stallings began singing in San Francisco night clubs such as the Hungry i, The Purple Onion, and El Matador. She performed with Ben Webster, Cal Tjader, Earl Hines, Red Mitchell, Teddy Edwards, and the Montgomery brothers (Wes, Monk, and Buddy).
By her teenage years, Stallings was already performing in well-known San Francisco night clubs such as the Hungry i, The Purple Onion, and El Matador. She sang with a group of influential musicians including Ben Webster, Cal Tjader, Earl Hines, Red Mitchell, Teddy Edwards, and the Montgomery brothers (Wes, Monk, and Buddy).