Kitty Kallen was a popular American Big Band Jazz singer in the 1940s and '50s. She was born in Philadelphia to a Jewish family on May 25th, 1921. She won a contest as a child by impersonating singers of the day. When her dad saw the prize she brought home (a camera), he thought she had stolen it, and punished her. Neighbors came and congratulated Kallen's father, and he realized she was telling the truth. She didn't play any instruments besides the accompaniment of her silky voice. There are three reasons Kallen is an important figure in Jazz: she replaced Helen O'Connell in the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in 1943, sang the vocal chorus on a pair of Harry James hits, and 1954's "Little Things Mean a Lot" was the year's most popular song. Her song "Little Things Mean a Lot" is featured on YouTube in this video. Another one of her songs, "Coloring Book", is displayed on YouTube in this video.
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