Born Bernadette Dalia in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Carroll was bitten by the performing bug early on, and made her stage debut at age seven. After her family moved to nearby Linden, Carroll dove headfirst into the life of a reckless teen, sneaking out at night with friends so they could hit the local recording studios. They were a popular destination, apparently. Tom DeCillis, a local disc jockey who had branched out into songwriting and producing, gathered enough teenage girl singers to put together a group, the Ifics, who became the Starlets in 1959. Though not a household name, Bernadette Carroll is one of the more successful teen vocalists of the girl group era. She charted as a member of the Angels, as a solo act, and as a for-hire backup singer. She performed on at least two #1 hits, selling over a million copies of each. You’ve heard her voice, whether you know it or not.