[1] At age 11, Bai was admitted to the Bright Moonlight Song and Dance Troupe and entered Shanghai's entertainment industry.

By 1934, a singing competition was sponsored in Shanghai, where she won by more than 200 votes taking the crown.

In the 1930s, she was recognized as one of the three great mandopop singers with Zhou Xuan and Gong Qiuxia.

Some of the songs that propelled her to stardom included "Intoxicating Lipstick" (醉人的口紅), "Love and Gold" (愛情與黃金), "Flowers Don't Bloom Without Rain" (雨不灑花花不紅) and "He's Like the Spring Wind" (郎是春日風).

She was also the first pop singer from mainland China to give a solo concert, which took place on the 12th and 13th of January 1945.