Kathy Young
Kathy Young (born October 21, 1945) is an American doo wop singer, known as… Read Full Bio ↴Kathy Young (born October 21, 1945) is an American doo wop singer, known as "The Cinderella of Show Business." At age fourteen, Young was signed to Indigo Records, and recorded the definitive version of the ballad "A Thousand Stars", which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. For most of her career, including her famous single, The Innocents served as her backing vocalists. On Monogram Records, she recorded a series of duets with Chris Montez -- a pairing known as Chris & Kathy -- among them surf rock classic "Shoot That Curl".
Born in Santa Ana, California, Young had aspirations of becoming a professional singer from the age of five; her supportive friends from high school in Long Beach helped her raise money for a demo recording session. In 1960, Young attended a local taping for the Wink Martindale Show, with Frankie Avalon and The Innocents on the bill. She came to notice Indigo record executive Jim Lee in attendance; after the show, Young approached him and asked him outright how to become a recording artist. Convinced by her determination, and the support of her family and friends, Lee gave her his card and invited her for an audition at Indigo.
When it was suggested to Indigo executives that The Innocents record "A Thousand Stars" (originally a minor hit for The Rivileers) as a follow-up to their hit single, "Honest I Do", the general opinion was that it had hit potential if sung by a female lead vocalist. Young was called in to cut a record with The Innocents; after putting together the harmonies, the master recording was completed in a night, and "A Thousand Stars" became an instant hit. The stories of Young's overnight transformation from high schooler to pop star earned her the moniker "The Cinderella of Show Business." Lee would compose many of Young's sides, though she was also capable of crafting songs of her own, among them "Eddie My Darling", the B-side to "A Thousand Stars".
By the time "A Thousand Stars" reached #3, Young had turned fifteen; her follow-up single, "Happy Birthday Blues", topped at #30. Subsequent singles, such as "Magic Is the Night and "The Great Pretender", failed to crack the Top 40. In July 1961, Young embarked on a highly-publicized series of road show concerts, sharing the bill with artists such as Brenda Lee, The Shirelles, and Jerry Lee Lewis. One of her last releases on Indigo was the LP The Sound of Kathy Young, which combined single sides with new songs recorded exclusively for the album, such as a cover of Shelby Flint's "Angel on My Shoulder".
Indigo folded in 1962, and Young jumped to Monogram together with Jim Lee. She released one single, her second entirely devoid of The Innocents, "Dream Boy", which failed to chart. Shortly thereafter, Young was paired with Chris Montez of "Let's Dance" fame, both of them in need of a fresh start. Their first single together, "All You Had to Do (Was Tell Me)", was merely a re-release of two earlier singles for Montez, with Young's vocal contributions added as an overdub. Their second (and final) offering, "Shoot That Curl", while not a hit, became a classic surf rock song. Coincidentally, Young was herself an avid surfer.
By 1965, Young's career had reached a standstill. That year, Young married John Walker (real name John Maus) of The Walker Brothers, who had occasionally played guitar on Young's recordings. They had met while both were performing at Pandora's Box in Hollywood. Shortly after their union, the two moved to England, where The Walker Brothers enjoyed much success. Young and Maus divorced in 1968; the next year, Young returned to the U.S. She remarried in 1971, and spent the next twenty years of her life raising a family, and running her ancestral citrus ranch.
In 1994, she returned to Los Angeles, now an employee of a major international company, and resumed her musical career. Since her return, she has made sporadic performances on well-known venues such as the Greek Theatre of Los Angeles, and the Meadowlands Arena in Jersey, and continues to tour to this day. In 2011, she participated in My Music: Rock, Pop & Doo Wop, an hourlong fundraiser special for PBS starring well-known artists of the '50s and early '60s.
Born in Santa Ana, California, Young had aspirations of becoming a professional singer from the age of five; her supportive friends from high school in Long Beach helped her raise money for a demo recording session. In 1960, Young attended a local taping for the Wink Martindale Show, with Frankie Avalon and The Innocents on the bill. She came to notice Indigo record executive Jim Lee in attendance; after the show, Young approached him and asked him outright how to become a recording artist. Convinced by her determination, and the support of her family and friends, Lee gave her his card and invited her for an audition at Indigo.
When it was suggested to Indigo executives that The Innocents record "A Thousand Stars" (originally a minor hit for The Rivileers) as a follow-up to their hit single, "Honest I Do", the general opinion was that it had hit potential if sung by a female lead vocalist. Young was called in to cut a record with The Innocents; after putting together the harmonies, the master recording was completed in a night, and "A Thousand Stars" became an instant hit. The stories of Young's overnight transformation from high schooler to pop star earned her the moniker "The Cinderella of Show Business." Lee would compose many of Young's sides, though she was also capable of crafting songs of her own, among them "Eddie My Darling", the B-side to "A Thousand Stars".
By the time "A Thousand Stars" reached #3, Young had turned fifteen; her follow-up single, "Happy Birthday Blues", topped at #30. Subsequent singles, such as "Magic Is the Night and "The Great Pretender", failed to crack the Top 40. In July 1961, Young embarked on a highly-publicized series of road show concerts, sharing the bill with artists such as Brenda Lee, The Shirelles, and Jerry Lee Lewis. One of her last releases on Indigo was the LP The Sound of Kathy Young, which combined single sides with new songs recorded exclusively for the album, such as a cover of Shelby Flint's "Angel on My Shoulder".
Indigo folded in 1962, and Young jumped to Monogram together with Jim Lee. She released one single, her second entirely devoid of The Innocents, "Dream Boy", which failed to chart. Shortly thereafter, Young was paired with Chris Montez of "Let's Dance" fame, both of them in need of a fresh start. Their first single together, "All You Had to Do (Was Tell Me)", was merely a re-release of two earlier singles for Montez, with Young's vocal contributions added as an overdub. Their second (and final) offering, "Shoot That Curl", while not a hit, became a classic surf rock song. Coincidentally, Young was herself an avid surfer.
By 1965, Young's career had reached a standstill. That year, Young married John Walker (real name John Maus) of The Walker Brothers, who had occasionally played guitar on Young's recordings. They had met while both were performing at Pandora's Box in Hollywood. Shortly after their union, the two moved to England, where The Walker Brothers enjoyed much success. Young and Maus divorced in 1968; the next year, Young returned to the U.S. She remarried in 1971, and spent the next twenty years of her life raising a family, and running her ancestral citrus ranch.
In 1994, she returned to Los Angeles, now an employee of a major international company, and resumed her musical career. Since her return, she has made sporadic performances on well-known venues such as the Greek Theatre of Los Angeles, and the Meadowlands Arena in Jersey, and continues to tour to this day. In 2011, she participated in My Music: Rock, Pop & Doo Wop, an hourlong fundraiser special for PBS starring well-known artists of the '50s and early '60s.
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Kathy Young Lyrics
A Thousand Stars A thousand stars in the sky like the stars in…
A Thousands Stars A thousand stars in the sky like the stars in…
Happy Birthday Blues There she sits all alone, her tear begins to shed A…
Thousand Stars A thousand stars in the sky like the stars in…
Will You Love Me Tomorrow Tonight you're mine, completely You give your soul so sweetl…