En af de store stemmer, der underholdt amerikanske soldater under 2. Verdenskrig, og medens Korea-krigen udspandt sig, Joe Stafford, er død. Hendes underholdning af soldaterne gav hende kælenavnet GI Joe. Staffords storhedsperiode var fyrrerne og de tidlige halvtredserne, hvor hun havde mange store hits. I New York Times nekrolog kan man læse følgende skudsmål: “A favorite of American servicemen, Ms. Stafford earned the nickname G.I. Jo for her recordings in which her pure, nearly vibrato-less voice, with perfect intonation, conveyed steadfast devotion and reassurance with delicate understatement.
She was the vocal embodiment of every serviceman’s dream girl faithfully tending the home fires while he was overseas. First as a member of the Pied Pipers, who sang with Tommy Dorsey and accompanied the young Frank Sinatra, and later as a soloist, Ms. Stafford enjoyed a stream of hits from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s. Her biggest hit, “You Belong to Me,” in 1952, sold two million copies.”
Hvil i fred.