Occupation Singer Instruments Vocals | Years active 1946-1961 Name Jinny Osborn | |
 | ||
Full Name Virginia A. Cole Born April 25, 1927 ( 1927-04-25 ) Seattle, Washington, U.S. Genres Barbershop
Folk
Traditional pop Died May 19, 2003, Palm Springs, California, United States Labels Columbia Records, Cadence Records | ||
Jinny Osborn (April 25, 1927 – May 19, 2003), born Virginia Cole, was an American popular music singer. She founded the group The Chordettes with three friends in 1946, which became one of the longest-lasting American vocal groups of the mid-20th century. Her final departure in 1961 led to the group's dissolution.
Contents
Early life and education
Osborn was born to Orlan H. "King" Cole and Katherine Flack in Seattle and grew up in Sheboygan. Her father was president of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and is also remembered today as the founder of the "Clipper City Chordsmen" of Manitowoc. He was also the president of the Kingsbury Breweries Company.
Osborn attended Shimer College, which at the time was a four-year junior college, for the 11th and 12th grades, graduating in 1945. Shimer was well known for its music program, and she majored in music and also played violin in a student group that performed in nearby towns.
Musical career
Osborn and three friends (Janet Ertel, Carol Buschmann, and Dorothy Schwartz) formed The Chordettes in 1946, with Osborn singing tenor. Initially they did principally folk music in the barbershop quartet style, though they gradually adopted more conventional pop forms. The group gained prominence when they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts's television show in 1949, returning as regular guests over the next four years. In 1953, Godfrey replaced their act with the McGuire Sisters.
In the same year, Osborn left the group to have a daughter, thereby missing appearing on the recording of "Mr. Sandman". She was temporarily replaced by Margie Needham.
Osborn did however appear on several of the group's subsequent major hits, including "Born to be With You" (1956), "Just Between You and Me" (1957) and "Lollipop" (1958). She also appeared in the group's appearance on the very first episode of American Bandstand in 1957.
Later life and legacy
After the breakup of The Chordettes, Osborn lived in southern California and largely avoided public life. However, she continued to sing in informal barbershop quartet groups, including annual gatherings in Chicago.
She died of cancer on May 19, 2003 in Palm Springs.