B. J. Baker
Betty Jane Baker (born Betty Jane Phillips on May 6, 1927 in Birmingham; died April 2, 2002 in Rancho Mirage, California) was Miss Birmingham in 1944, and had a long career as a singer, songwriter and performer.
Betty Jane had her own radio program in Birmingham at age 14 before entering the Miss Birmingham pageant in 1944 as Betty Jane Rase. She won the crown, and was 4th runner up in that year's Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She caught comedian Mickey Rooney's eye during the contest. They dated while he went through basic training, and married in Birmingham that same year at a house near Highland Avenue. The couple had two children: Mickey, Jr and Tim, both born in Birmingham. They divorced in 1949 and she married Disney composer Buddy Baker the next year. After seven years, she split with Baker, then married jazz guitarist Barney Kessel in 1961, divorcing in 1980.
Phillips (later Baker), sang with numerous big bands and later appeared on many television variety shows. She was a back-up singer for Elvis Presley on some recordings, and also recorded with Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Wilson, the Righteous Brothers and Nancy Sinatra. She also brokered contracts for other backup singers through the Anita Kerr Singers agency.
Baker recorded singing parts for Linda Low in the 1961 film Flower Drum Song and also contributed vocal work to Heidi's Song (1982) and to the television specials "The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant" (1968) and "Babar Comes to America" (1971).
Baker died in 2002 of complications of a stroke.
References
- "B. J. Baker: Backup singer who worked with Elvis, Sinatra, Cooke" (April 14, 2002) Variety