Betty Jane “B.J.” Baker
Betty Jane “B.J.” Baker (1927-2002) was a nationally renowned singer, songwriter, and performer whose voice was integral to the soundscape of mid-twentieth century American popular music. Baker rose from regional fame as a beauty pageant contestant to national prominence through her widely reported marriage to film star Mickey Rooney and her work as a backup vocalist for some of the most celebrated musicians of her era, including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, the Righteous Brothers, and Sam Cooke. She also contributed to radio, television, and film soundtracks, with credits on the musicals Flower Drum Song (1961) and Heidi’s Song (1982).
Baker was born Betty Jane Phillips in Birmingham, Jefferson County, on May 6, 1927, to William L. Phillips and Lena Bea Paschall Phillips. Baker would sometimes use the surname Rase, which was her stepfather’s name. Baker’s early foray into entertainment began at Phillips High School in Birmingham, where she hosted her own radio program. Her vocal talent and charisma quickly earned her recognition. In 1944, at just 17 years old, she was crowned Miss Birmingham and went on to place fourth in that year’s Miss America Pageant. A major national platform during the World War II era, the pageant often served as a launching pad for women seeking careers in entertainment.
During this period, she met actor Mickey Rooney, then one of Hollywood’s most notable stars. He was a private in the U.S. Army and stationed at Camp Sibert near Gadsden, Etowah County, as part of his World War II military service. After accepting an invitation to attend a benefit showing of Girl Crazy, his 1943 film with Judy Garland, Rooney was introduced to Betty Jane by Birmingham News reporter and Miss Birmingham organizer Lily Mae Caldwell. Rooney proposed to Betty Jane that same night. The couple married and went on to have two children, Mickey Jr. and Tim. She claimed cruelty in 1948 when filing for divorce, which was finalized in 1949. These events were reported across the United States and even overseas.
Phillips later married composer and music director Buddy Baker, who would go on to become a major figure at Walt Disney Studios, serving as the head of its music department. Their marriage lasted seven years, ending in 1957. In 1961, she married jazz guitarist Barney Kessel, a major figure in the West Coast jazz scene and a member of the elite group of session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. They divorced in 1980.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Betty Jane performed in several big bands (large jazz orchestras that dominated American popular music from the swing era into the postwar period). As a backup singer in Los Angeles, she became part of the uncredited, yet essential, cadre of vocalists who shaped the sound of twentieth century pop. Her voice can be heard on many memorable recordings, including Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” Lloyd Price’s “Stagger Lee,” Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover,” the Righteous Brothers’s “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” and Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.”
In the 1960s, Baker extended her talents to television, working as a voice actor on cartoons and appearing on popular variety shows hosted by stars such as Dean Martin and Judy Garland, further embedding herself in the era’s entertainment landscape.
Baker died on April 2, 2002, in Rancho Mirage, California, from complications following a stroke.
