Elizabeth June Thornburg was born on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek, Michigan. When she was three years old, she sang in the family speakeasy with her older sister and her mother. Betty went to various gigs as a teenager, and soon she made Broadway in the early 40s in a feature film, “The Fleet’s In”. Most of her songs were popularized through films she had acted in.

Betty’s style was very energetic, charming, and bold. Songs such as “It’s A Man”, “Murder, He Says”, and “He’s a Demon, He’s a Devil, He’s a Doll” especially showcase this. An announcer in an act that she performed for the Armed Forces aptly described her as a “vitamin pill with legs”. The songs' subjects were usually about men and love.