Ketty Lester (born Revoyda Frierson, August 16, 1934) is an American singer and actress, who is best known for her 1962 hit single, "Love Letters", which reached the Top 5 of the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The daughter of a farmer, she was born in Hope, Arkansas, one of a family of 15 children, and first sang in her church and school choirs. She won a scholarship to study music at San Francisco State College, and in the early 1950s began performing under the name Ketty Lester in the city's Purple Onion club. She later appeared as a contestant on the game show You Bet Your Life, and toured Europe as a singer with Cab Calloway's orchestra. Returning to California, she recorded her first single, "Queen For A Day", for the Everest label. She was introduced by the singer and comedienne Dorothy Shay to record producers and songwriters Ed Cobb and Lincoln Mayorga, of The Four Preps and The Piltdown Men, who won her a contract with Era Records in Los Angeles. In 1961 they released her single, "I'm a Fool to Want You" b/w "Love Letters".