Born Mildred Rinker in Tekoa, Washington, Bailey began her music career as a song demonstrator, performing with local bands in the evenings. The first featured female big band vocalist, she later performed with her husband Red Norvo on the CBS Radio Network. One of the top records of 1937 was her song More Than You Know. A headliner in clubs and a favorite on radio shows, Bailey retired in the late 1940s.