She was born Bessie White in New Bern, North Carolina, and later raised in Brooklyn, New York City. In the mid-1950s, she began singing with a quartet called Three Guys and a Doll.
Born Bessie White in New Bern, North Carolina, she later resided in Brooklyn, New York City. During the mid-1950s, she joined a vocal group known as Three Guys and a Doll.