Biography
In the 1950s country vocalist Mimi Roman edged close to widespread recognition by issuing several recordings that earned admiration from fellow performers and attracted a modest following, although she never achieved a major commercial breakthrough. Her vocal range allowed her to adapt seamlessly across lively country selections, wistful ballads, lighthearted novelty pieces, and flamboyant theatrical numbers, always projecting elegance without exaggerating the sentiment or mood of any given track. She also cut pop-oriented sides under the alias Kitty Ford. Although no full-length album appeared under either name while she remained active, the Sundazed label assembled a comprehensive overview of her output across two 2022 collections titled First of the Brooklyn Cowgirls, credited to Mimi Roman, and Pussycat, credited to Kitty Ford.
Born Miriam Lopolito in the Bronx, New York, on April 20, 1934, she experienced her parents’ separation at an early age. When she turned ten her mother Estelle, previously a dancer, entered a second marriage with Max Rothman, proprietor of a thriving pickle enterprise. The blended Rothman household relocated to Brooklyn, where Mimi developed a passion for horses amid several local riding stables. She joined a circle of peers known as the Brooklyn Cowboys, honed her equestrian abilities, collected multiple trophies in area competitions, and demonstrated skill as a marksman. Already proficient on piano and guitar with ambitions toward cabaret performance, she developed a deep affinity for country music after a riding acquaintance introduced her to the recordings of Hank Williams.
At nineteen she entered New York’s Madison Square Garden Rodeo, one of the nation’s premier events of its type. Concerned that the surname Rothman might register as too Jewish to visiting contestants, she removed the “T” to compete as Mimi Rohman and later simplified the spelling to Roman. Judges named her Rodeo Queen on the basis of appearance, personality, and riding proficiency. The title included nightly performances alongside singing cowboy Gene Autry throughout the rodeo’s four-week engagement. Several months afterward she appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, delivering Hank Williams’ “Weary Blues from Waitin’” and claiming top honors.
Subsequent guest spots on Godfrey’s daytime program generated a series of live engagements and a recurring role on Midwestern Hayride, the Cincinnati-based country and western broadcast. Decca Records signed her in 1954 under the name Mimi Roman; later that year she released her first single, “Oh! I Like It” backed with “Weary Blues from Waitin’.” To avoid potential resistance from country listeners toward a Jewish singer raised in Brooklyn, the label supplied a fictional biography placing her birth and upbringing in California before a teenage relocation to New York. Working under producer Owen Bradley, who also oversaw sessions for Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Brenda Lee, she recorded nine singles for Decca between 1955 and 1958. Extensive touring encompassed sixty weeks with the Philip Morris Country Music Show, along with multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride. Bradley showcased her strengths on brisk country numbers, early rockabilly dance tracks, and smoother countrypolitan material, while Decca also assigned her teenage-oriented songs styled after Connie Francis. None of these releases registered on the sales charts, prompting her departure. Two further singles appeared on Kapp in 1959 and 1960, followed by two on Warner Bros. in 1961 and 1962, yet none approached hit status.
In 1962 she married singer and songwriter Paul Evans, then employed in New York as a staff composer. Wishing to step away from constant travel and begin a family, she set aside her country career. Retaining a desire to remain active in music, she secured a position as staff vocalist at Associated Recording Studios, located near the Brill Building. The facility specialized in producing demo recordings for publishers and songwriters, and Roth performed such samples for prominent figures including Burt Bacharach, Carole King, and Neil Sedaka; several of these sides later attracted label interest and received commercial release.
She adopted the separate professional identity Kitty Ford for her studio work, issuing occasional singles that encompassed novelty numbers, polished pop, show tunes, and material tied to film, television, and advertising. Chart success remained elusive under either name, but the steady assignments built a reputation for reliability and adaptability. After a decade at Associated Recording she transitioned into roles as a nightclub talent buyer, radio host, and real-estate agent, while still performing occasional club dates backed by a country band.
Her earlier Mimi Roman recordings gradually earned esteem among collectors of rare country and rockabilly material. In 2012 the German Bear Family label issued Juke Box Pearls: I’m Ready If You’re Willing, a compilation drawn from her Decca, Kapp, and Warner Bros. singles. Ten years later Sundazed Records presented a broader survey of her 1950s and 1960s work on two albums. First of the Brooklyn Cowgirls gathered highlights from her Mimi Roman singles together with scarce tracks from television and radio broadcasts, while the companion set Pussycat collected nineteen Kitty Ford performances from her Associated Recording period.
Born Miriam Lopolito in the Bronx, New York, on April 20, 1934, she experienced her parents’ separation at an early age. When she turned ten her mother Estelle, previously a dancer, entered a second marriage with Max Rothman, proprietor of a thriving pickle enterprise. The blended Rothman household relocated to Brooklyn, where Mimi developed a passion for horses amid several local riding stables. She joined a circle of peers known as the Brooklyn Cowboys, honed her equestrian abilities, collected multiple trophies in area competitions, and demonstrated skill as a marksman. Already proficient on piano and guitar with ambitions toward cabaret performance, she developed a deep affinity for country music after a riding acquaintance introduced her to the recordings of Hank Williams.
At nineteen she entered New York’s Madison Square Garden Rodeo, one of the nation’s premier events of its type. Concerned that the surname Rothman might register as too Jewish to visiting contestants, she removed the “T” to compete as Mimi Rohman and later simplified the spelling to Roman. Judges named her Rodeo Queen on the basis of appearance, personality, and riding proficiency. The title included nightly performances alongside singing cowboy Gene Autry throughout the rodeo’s four-week engagement. Several months afterward she appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, delivering Hank Williams’ “Weary Blues from Waitin’” and claiming top honors.
Subsequent guest spots on Godfrey’s daytime program generated a series of live engagements and a recurring role on Midwestern Hayride, the Cincinnati-based country and western broadcast. Decca Records signed her in 1954 under the name Mimi Roman; later that year she released her first single, “Oh! I Like It” backed with “Weary Blues from Waitin’.” To avoid potential resistance from country listeners toward a Jewish singer raised in Brooklyn, the label supplied a fictional biography placing her birth and upbringing in California before a teenage relocation to New York. Working under producer Owen Bradley, who also oversaw sessions for Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Brenda Lee, she recorded nine singles for Decca between 1955 and 1958. Extensive touring encompassed sixty weeks with the Philip Morris Country Music Show, along with multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride. Bradley showcased her strengths on brisk country numbers, early rockabilly dance tracks, and smoother countrypolitan material, while Decca also assigned her teenage-oriented songs styled after Connie Francis. None of these releases registered on the sales charts, prompting her departure. Two further singles appeared on Kapp in 1959 and 1960, followed by two on Warner Bros. in 1961 and 1962, yet none approached hit status.
In 1962 she married singer and songwriter Paul Evans, then employed in New York as a staff composer. Wishing to step away from constant travel and begin a family, she set aside her country career. Retaining a desire to remain active in music, she secured a position as staff vocalist at Associated Recording Studios, located near the Brill Building. The facility specialized in producing demo recordings for publishers and songwriters, and Roth performed such samples for prominent figures including Burt Bacharach, Carole King, and Neil Sedaka; several of these sides later attracted label interest and received commercial release.
She adopted the separate professional identity Kitty Ford for her studio work, issuing occasional singles that encompassed novelty numbers, polished pop, show tunes, and material tied to film, television, and advertising. Chart success remained elusive under either name, but the steady assignments built a reputation for reliability and adaptability. After a decade at Associated Recording she transitioned into roles as a nightclub talent buyer, radio host, and real-estate agent, while still performing occasional club dates backed by a country band.
Her earlier Mimi Roman recordings gradually earned esteem among collectors of rare country and rockabilly material. In 2012 the German Bear Family label issued Juke Box Pearls: I’m Ready If You’re Willing, a compilation drawn from her Decca, Kapp, and Warner Bros. singles. Ten years later Sundazed Records presented a broader survey of her 1950s and 1960s work on two albums. First of the Brooklyn Cowgirls gathered highlights from her Mimi Roman singles together with scarce tracks from television and radio broadcasts, while the companion set Pussycat collected nineteen Kitty Ford performances from her Associated Recording period.
Albums
Singles