Carol Sloane was conceived in Providence, Rhode Island on March 5, 1937. Carol married Charlie Jefferds in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1955. They divorced in 1958. Carol sang in small bars and clubs until meeting the road manager for the Les and Larry Elgart Orchestra, which was performing in amusement park ballrooms throughout the southern New England region. She auditioned to Larry Elgart and was then invited to New York by his band. They had split up the company recently, with Les taking over the territory west Chicago and Larry handling everything east. Larry Elgart suggested that she change her name from Carol Sloane. She continued to be with Larry Elgart’s band until 1960 when she found the road too boring and difficult. She was still undiscovered after two years of being on the road and she didn’t have any singing gigs. Her secretarial work was booked through Manhattan’s temp agencies. She maintained her relationship with Elgart’s former road manager, who was also an agent for the Willard Alexander office. Bob Bonis, Carol’s former road manager, organized for Carol to perform at a Pittsburgh jazz festival in 1960. This was where she met Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. Jon Hendricks asked Carol to learn the LH
