Bernadette Carroll (21 June 1945 - 5 October 2018) was an American pop singer.
She was born Bernadette Dalia in Elizabeth, New Jersey and her first performance was when she was only seven, acting in a school play. Soon after her family moved to Linden, New Jersey, she became somewhat of a reckless teenager, sneaking out late at night to go to local recording studios with her friends, which is how the Starlets formed. Members Barbara and Jiggs Allbut met Tom DeCillis, who had branched out into songwriting after moving to NJ. He then found two more members, Bernadette Carroll and Lynda Malzone to form the Starlets.
After The Starlets disbanded, Carroll made her first solo recording for the Julia label, My Heart Stood Still. She then joined with Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi of The Four Seasons to record the song "Nicky", written by Massi and Bob Gaudio, which was Carroll's first single for the Laurie label.
Carroll's second single under the label was "Party Girl," produced and co-written by Ernie Maresca, which became a national hit. Carroll followed that landmark release in rapid succession throughout 1964 and 1965 with such Laurie label gems as Homecoming Party, The Hero, Nicky, Try Your Luck and Don't Hurt Me.
Carroll later was an integral part of the supergroup Jessica James And The Outlaws (with the Angels' Peggy Santiglia and the Delicates' Denise Ferri, whom Carroll met in 1959). Jessica James And The Outlaws provided backing vocals on Patty Duke's 1965 Don't Just Stand There album for United Artists, and also put their distinctive touch on many of the classic Lou Christie sides during his tenure with MGM; most notably on his acclaimed Lightning Strikes and the follow-up Rhapsody in the Rain, also on his Painter Of Hits album. Jessica James And The Outlaws in turn made their mark on their own in 1966 with the enduring double entendre classic, We'll Be Makin' Out. They were also backup singers for Connie Francis, Bobby Hebb and Frankie Valli.
However, she and Ferri remained in touch, and in the current decade brainstormed a number of potential musical collaborations. A regular presence on social media throughout much of her later years, Carroll was plagued by health problems finally losing her valiant battle against cancer on 5 October, 2018. She was 74.
(Edited from The Malt Shop Jukebox & Michael McDowell @ Facebook)