- In 1970, in an attempt to revive her career, she posed nude for men's magazine Mayfair
- In 1964, she had her first and biggest hit record, "My Boy Lollipop", at just 17 years old. It reached #2 in the British Hit Parade.
- In 1964 her only other UK chart hit was "Sweet William" which reached Number 30.
- She was one of 13 siblings, with seven brothers and five sisters.
- Her 1964 hit "My Boy Lollipop" reached number 2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and was selling over 7 million copies worldwide.
- She was the daughter of a sugar plantation overseer.
- Like many Jamaican singers of the era, her career began by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent contest at the age of twelve.
- Wishing to pursue a career as a singer, she moved to live with relatives in Love Lane in Kingston. She auditioned for Studio One record producer Coxsone Dodd, who was struck by the similarity of her voice to that of Shirley Goodman of the American duo Shirley and Lee. He paired her with singer Owen Gray, and they made several records together, including "Sugar Plum", which became a local hit.
- She was the Caribbean's first international recording star, and its most successful female performer.
- Was cutting singles for Studio One Records in Jamaica when she was discovered by Chris Blackwell after her duet with Roy Panton, "We'll Meet", topped the Jamaican music charts.
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