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Growing up with music, and always enjoying, she earned money scrubbing steps to purchase a violin. Her father bought her a piano, which she taught herself to play, remembering some of the simpler melodies played by the church’s pianist. Money earned from odd jobs went toward piano lessons, which, however, she was only able to take sporadically.
Her father died when she was fourteen and the family moved into their paternal grandparents’ home; her mother had to work as a domestic to help the family’s financial situation. Continuing to sing in both the youth and adult choirs at the church, she was often asked to perform as a soloist. As a student at South Philadelphia High School, she was often given the opportunity to sing in school concerts, where she gained recognition and assistance from prominent audience members.
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