Female singer Chris Connor (1927-2009) played the clarinet for more than 8 years before she started singing with the band of Claude Thornhill. In 1953 she made name for herself as a vocalist with the band of Stan Kenton. She soon got contracts under her own name with labels Bethlehem and Atlantic; recordings from 1954 and 1956.
Sources:
Chris Connor: Cool Chris (Affinity CD 115)
A Jazz Date with Chris Connor (Atlantic WPCR 27497)
