Marge Stafford

Alto saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, alto vocalist, songwriter, and arranger from California She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1941, after which she played with an all-girl Kay Barclay Band. During World War II, she served as a lieutenant in the Navy Waves. On her return she resumed her studies at UC Berkeley, where she earned a degree ​in anthropology and music. During this time, in a music class, she met a young returning naval musician, Bill Stafford. Following graduation, they married in 1948 and moved to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Marge joined Ina Ray Hutton's and Ada Leonard's all-female orchestras, which played on national television broadcasts. Then they got the idea to form the trio The Staffords (2), and eventually signed a contract with Decca. After working 25 years in Los Angeles, in 1969 the Staffords decided to move to the Napa Valley. While Bill continued to strictly arrange and play music, Marge got also involved in the wine industry. But they both remained very involved in music, and performed hundreds of private gigs and public events in the Napa Valley area. Born: 7 September 1917 in Berkeley, California, USA Died: 1 September 2010 in Napa, California, USA