(Akiit.com) NEW YORK, April 13, 2007 (UPI) — Dakota Staton, a 1950s jazz and blues singer known for her sassy style, has died in New York at the age of 76.
Staton, in declining health for years, entered the 1957 music scene in a big way with a debut album, “The Late, Late Show,” with the title track, “Broadway” and “My Funny Valentine” all hits, The New York Times said.
Born in Pittsburgh, she began singing and dancing as a child and continued performing well into her 60s. By the time she was 18, Staton was performing in nightclubs in Detroit and other venues in the Midwest, but eventually settled in New York.
Staton recorded more than two dozen albums and worked with musicians such as pianist George Shearing and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle.
In 1955, she was voted the most promising newcomer of the year by Down Beat magazine.
Staton, who died Tuesday, is survived by her brother, Fred Staton, a saxophone player.