Talya Ferro

Singer and actress Talya Ferro (the name came from her mother’s family name, Taliaferro) was born in Madison, Wisconsin. As a child she moved with her mother to Los Angeles, where attended high school and college. After graduating (she majored in drama), Talya had a dancing part in a production of “West Side Story” and then moved to New York City. One of her early jobs was as a dancer in late Dinah Washington’s revue in Chicago. In 1965 Talya started singing professionally at The Horn in Santa Monica, California. Early in 1967 she joined the trio of brazilian jazz organist Walter Wanderley: "We were at P.J.’s in Hollywood for three months, played Shepheard’s in New York, and did the Johnny Carson ‘Tonight’ show. While I was with this group I also made my first movie, For Singles Only. Wanderley wrote the music and I did the lyrics for a song in that picture, Take A Chance With Me" (from the liner notes of her debut album, Look At Me).