Having made her professional debut with Tex Beneke's big band, Marlene VerPlanck later joined Charlie Spivak's ensemble, where she met her husband, trombonist/arranger J. "Billy" VerPlanck. In the early '60s, they relocated to New York, where she sang backing vocals for many major artists, including Frank Sinatra. Throughout the decade and into the '70s, she recorded commercial jingles, but also sang in some of the city's best-known jazz clubs, and began recording for the Audiophile label. During the '80s and '90s, VerPlanck's international following grew, as she released well-received albums like Meets Saxomania in Paris (1994) and You'd Better Love Me (1999). She continued to perform and record for the remainder of her life, releasing The Mood I'm In in 2016. She died in January of 2018 at the age of 84.