A friend of Tommy Dorsey, she occasionally sang with the big band while she was filming in New York. She played regional theaters with Shirley Jones and Virginia Mayo, played Mama Rose in "Gypsy" and sang in "Guys And Dolls."
In the 1950s, she was briefly married to actor Michael Ansara.
The role of Dr. Imogene Burkhart (her real name!) on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959) was written for her by close friend, playwright Max Shulman.