Growing up in Chicago's legendary Taylor Street Italian enclave during the 1950s, Josie Falbo began her career singing on stoops and street corners, with the smell of pizza and red sauce wafting through the air. Since then, Falbo's voice has filled the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii and the Lyric Opera House, recording studios and television commercials, and even the musical restoration of Orson Welle's film version of "Othello."
After winning the Tip Top Bread talent contest and recording the 45 "Leave Me Alone/Easy to Love" in the early '60s, Falbo launched a thriving career in the jingle industry. For the next 25 years, you could hear her singing "Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee," "Fly the friendly skies of United," "Nationwide is on your side" and other iconic advertising lyrics.
Falbo's voice has drawn legitimate comparisons to Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, and she has performed with local artists as diverse as Johnny Frigo, Joanie Pallatto, the American Breed's Gary Lozzio and Dick Marx.
Whether she's belting out jazz, Latin, gospel or opera, the power, range and emotion of Falbo's voice makes her one of the best-kept secrets not only in Chicagoland, but the entire musical world.
-- David Witter
- Taylor Street | Read Review