Ed Sullivan first introduced the petite singer on his variety show as "the little girl with the big voice." She was a frequent Sullivan guest.
Born Theresa Breuer, the eldest of five children of a glass inspector for the Libby Owens Co. in Toledo, Ohio.
Dropped out of high school as a junior and moved to New York to find singing work, altering her given name to "Teresa Brewer".
Four daughters: Kathleen (born in 1950), Susan and Megan Colleen (born in November 1954), and Michelle (born in 1958).
Made around 300 records by the mid-1960s.
Made her official professional debut at age 2 singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on a children's Toledo radio show. At age 5 she won a singing competition which earned her several appearances on the "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" radio talent program. She spent the next seven years touring with a Bowes'-formed troupe, then "retired" at age 12 to return to school.
She dyed her blonde hair and made her film debut as one of Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) starring Rhonda Fleming, but turned down a long-term contract offer by Paramount in order to maintain her singing career and remain with her family, both established on the East Coast.
She moved away from performing in the 1960s as rock 'n' roll took over the pop scene and instead concentrated on raising a family of four. She returned to singing in a jazz-swing mode a decade later after marrying her second husband, jazz producer Bob Thiele, and worked with such icons as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie.
She recorded Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", which was written by her second husband Bob Thiele. Thiele also produced a few of her earlier hits.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1708 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.