Kathy Young

by Jason Ankeny
Best remembered for her 1960 smash A Thousand Stars, teen pop singer Kathy Young was born in Santa Ana, CA on October 21, 1945. Her big break followed while attending a taping of Wink Martindales local television show — among the guests were harmony trio the Innocents, riding high on the success of their hit Honest I Do, and after the show Young introduced herself to the group and their producer, Indigo Records staffer Jim Lee. At Lees invitation, the 15-year-old Young entered Indigos studios the next week, and backed by the Innocents she recorded a cover of Eugene Pearson and the Rivileers doo wop favorite A Thousand Stars; not only did the record peak at number three on the U.S. pop charts that Halloween, it cracked the R&B Top Ten as well. The follow-up Happy Birthday Blues reached the number 30 spot in March of 1961, although subsequent efforts including Magic Is the Night and a cover of the Platters classic The Great Pretender failed to achieve Top 40 status. When Lee left Indigo in 1962 to found the Monogram label, he brought Young with him; there she recorded as a solo artist in addition to a series of duets with Chris Montez. None recaptured her earlier success, however, and after some final sides for the Starfire imprint, Young relocated to London, later marrying the Walker Brothers John Maus.