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.
She performed and recorded as Toni Banks during the mid-1950s, including the 1957 single "You're Still in My Heart", on which she was backed by the Four Fellows. In 1959, she and Larry recorded as members of the Companions, releasing a single "Why Oh Why Baby" on the Federal label.