Stan Kenton rarely recruited well-known performers to his orchestra - take June Christy, for example. In March, 1945, shortly after award-winning singer Anita O'Day had left Kenton to try her luck as a single act, Stan invited the completely unknown, 19½-year-old Shirley Luster to try out with the orchestra. As she later recalled, Stan said: "....maybe for a few weeks. We'll see how it works out." Well, it worked out fine and, following a change of name and a hit record, by the time she was twenty it was quite clear that June Christy was going places.
