Joni James, the singer behind the 1950s hits Why Don't You Believe Me? and How Important Can It Be?, passes at age 91
- Joni James, the singer who recorded the hit 1950s tracks Why Don't You Believe Me? and How Important Can It Be?, has died at the age of 91
- Her son, Michael Acquaviva, confirmed his mother passed on February 20
- James' family announced she passed of natural causes in a West Palm Beach, Florida hospital
- James was just 22 when she began experiencing musical success with her 1952 track Why Don't You Believe Me?
Joni James, the singer who recorded the hit 1950s tracks Why Don't You Believe Me? and How Important Can It Be?, has died at the age of 91.
Her son, Michael Acquaviva, confirmed with The Washington Post that his mother passed on February 20.
James' family announced she passed of natural causes in a West Palm Beach, Florida hospital, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Joni James, the singer who recorded the hit 1950s tracks Why Don't You Believe Me? and How Important Can It Be?, has died at the age of 91.
James, who later earned the nickname Queen of Hearts, was born Givanna Carmello Babbo on September 22, 1930 in Chicago, according to Deadline.
She worked as a dancer as a young girl and toured throughout Canada in the late 1940s. She then started working in music, recording first for Sharp Records and then later MGM.
James was just 22 when she began experiencing musical success with her 1952 track Why Don't You Believe Me?.
The song was number one on the three Billboard charts in late 1952 and remained there for weeks, according to THR.
James was born Givanna Carmello Babbo on September 22, 1930 in Chicago, according to Deadline
Her subsequent tracks were also successes on the charts, with the 1953 song Your Cheatin' Heart and 1955's How Important Can It Be? both landing at number two.
Have You Heard? also reached the number four spot in 1953.
Her tracks You Are My Love, My Love, My Love, and Almost Always were also top 10 hits.
The accomplished singer has recorded over 40 albums, sold more than 100 million records, and even performed at the Academy Awards in 1960.
She worked as a dancer as a young girl and toured throughout Canada in the late 1940s
'I always sang from the heart,' she said in a 1966 interview with the New York Daily News. 'I always sang about life and how it affected me. I’m Italian. Italians are passionate people.'
She married musical arranger/conductor Tony Acquaviva in 1956 and paused her career for nearly two decades in order to care for him after he developed diabetes. He passed in 1986.
'I became the nurse and the Italian mother,' she told the LA Times in 1995 of pausing her career to care for her family. 'I wanted to be near my family. Besides, I couldn’t possibly turn away from Tony. He was in a wheelchair for years. They were going to amputate his leg at one point because of gangrene, but we saved it. I used to bathe the leg six times a day.'
She remarried in 1997 to Bernard Schriever, and was married to him until his passing in 2005.
She is survived by her adopted children Michael and Angela, her brothers Angelo and Jimmy, her sisters Clara and Rosalie, and grandchildren Jacqueline and Connor, according to THR.
Achievements: The accomplished singer has recorded over 40 albums, sold more than 100 million records, and even performed at the Academy Awards in 1960
- Joni James Dead: Popular Pop Songstress of the 1950s Was 91 – The Hollywood Reporter
- www.washingtonpo...
- Joni James Dead: 1950s Pop Star Who Sang ‘Why Don’t You Believe Me?’ Was 91 – Deadline
- ONE FROM HER HEART JONI JAMES RETURNS TO THE SPOTLIGHT
- Joni James, Garbo of Pop, Resurfaces : Pop music: Singer, who walked away from music scene 30 years ago after a string of hits, sells out shows, plans new album. - Los Angeles Times
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