Biography
Born in 1924 in Madera, California, Rayburn died of a heart attack on 14 June 2000 in Oceanside, California. Her earliest major professional role came as lead vocalist with the Ray Anthony Orchestra. She subsequently performed with Gene Autry and joined the Sunnysiders, contributing to their lone Top 20 entry, the 1955 single ‘Hey, Mr. Banjo’. Once that group’s success faded, she launched a solo career and cut ‘I’m Available’ for Liberty Records, a song written by Dave Burgess, who later became a member of the Champs. The track reached number 9 on the Billboard pop charts in October 1957. Without a comparable follow-up, she abandoned recording by the mid-60s.