Remembering Joni James’ Sweet Voice

Joni James isn’t always remembered as one of the great voices of the mid-20th century since she largely removed herself from the public eye when her first husband suffered chronic illness from diabetes. But, she had a voice that rivaled Rosemary Clooney and Patsy Cline in its sweetness- a fact that was not lost on 1950s America.

The songstress said in an interview in 2007 that part of her success was simply trying hard- and trying again. After her first single (a cover of “You Belong to Me”) failed to chart in 1952 she persevered and her song, “Why Don’t You Believe Me?”, from the same year made a big splash. A year later she had the most-played song in the US when she did a cover of Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart”.

By 1955 she had had a few commercial successes and was becoming a well-known name. Her song, “How Important Can It Be?”, captured the attention of music lovers around the world. Other hits included 1958’s “There Goes My Heart” and “My Last Date (With You)” from 1960. She recorded more than 40 albums and Barbara Streisand was reportedly among James’ many, many fans. James was the first pop singer to be given a solo show at Carnegie Hall and the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in London.

She was issued a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1969. But, by the mid-1960s she had already retired to care for her husband, composer Tony Acquaviva, (a role she continued until his death in 1986). She later remarried and after she was widowed a second time she stepped back into the spotlight and her older work was re-released.

Born Giovanna Carmella Babbo in 1930, the Italian-American singer was first trained in dance. However a sudden appendectomy caused her fate to change and she ended up singing instead. James recently passed away from natural causes at the age of 91 at her home in West Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2022. James is survived by her son, Michael, and her daughter, Angela.

You can hear her lovely rendition of “How Important Can It Be?” in the video below.