Giovanna Carmella Babbo, known by the stage name Joni James, was born on 22 September 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. As a singer of traditional pop, she began her career after studying drama and ballet during adolescence. Post-school, she embarked on a tour with a local dance group in Canada before securing a job as a chorus girl at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. In 1952, she was signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) after being discovered in a television commercial and released her debut single that year, "Why Don't You Believe Me?", which pulled in over two million copies. She followed this with several other hits in 1952, including Hank Williams' cover "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Have You Heard?". She recorded five albums at London's Abbey Road Studios, notably becoming the first American artist to do so. Her career spanned numerous Top 10 hits on various Billboard charts, including the aforementioned "Why Don't You Believe Me?" (number one in 1952) and "Your Cheatin' Heart" (number 2 in 1953). She recorded over 25 albums in the early 1960s before retiring from the music industry in 1964 to care for her husband, Anthony "Tony" Acquaviva, whose health was in decline. However, she returned to performing in the mid-1990s with significant concerts at venues like New York's Carnegie Hall. Joni James died on 20 February 2022 at the age of 91. She was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her impact on the entertainment industry.
