In 1941, Doris married trombonist Al Jorden – a move that would prove to be very unwise. As it turned out, Jorden was a violent schizophrenic and was very abusive towards her.
Nevertheless, the two had a son, Terry, who was born the year after they tied the knot. The couple met while working together in Barney Rapp’s band.
When Doris was 15, she may not have felt well enough to start training for dancing again, but she did decide to try her hand at professional music. First, she signed on to a local radio station as a female vocalist. But it was her on-air performances that caught the attention of big band artist, Barney Rapp.
It was with his band, Barney Rapp and his New Englanders, that her career really took off.
The young Doris looked up to another singer of her time, one she saw as somewhat of an idol. She really loved to listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s music during her early days in the industry.
She told journalist A.E Hotchner that, “there was a quality to her voice that fascinated me.” Soon, teenage Doris would be a thing of the past.
Doris and Al finally called it quits in 1943 and got a divorce. Doris left Terry with her mom in Cincinnati and went on tour with Les Brown. It was with his band, The Band of Renowned, where she would get her first taste of real, measurable success in the industry.
The year after she joined the group, they published the song “Sentimental Journey,” which found its way to number one on the charts.
But when exactly did Doris Day make the transition from bubbly big band performer to sultry Hollywood star? In 1948, she landed a starring role in "Romance on the High Seas", after she’d been spotted singing at a party by a famous songwriter who personally invited her in for a screen test.
After she made a great impression on screen in her first role, she soon found herself getting call after call from people who wanted her in their films.