She began recording in the mid-1950's, but wasn't very successful until "Walking after Midnight" put her in the spotlight, both in the Country and Pop charts.
The following singles tightened her position on the top: "Crazy" written by Willie Nelson, "Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray" written by [a=Eddie Miller (3)] and W.S. Stevenson and "I Fall To Pieces" written by Hank Cochran. The influence of producer Owen Bradley was huge.
At the peak of her fame, she was tragically killed in an airplane crash in 1963.
Years later her distinctive voice and interpretation was recognized by many and was of great influence of later singers, like Brenda Lee, Linda Ronstadt and [a=k.d. Lang], amongst others.