Born in Paisley, Scotland, McQuade moved to Australia with her family at the age of eight, settling in Brisbane.
She moved to Melbourne in 1960, and joined an existing group, The Thunderbirds, replacing Judy Cannon.
She returned to Queensland in 1966, and performed regularly in clubs, widening her repertoire to include pop standards and ballads.
In 1983, she returned to Melbourne and began performing at rock and roll revival events as well as guesting on TV shows.
[1][4] A compilation of her recordings, entitled Betty McQuade Collection, was issued on CD in 2012,[2] with all revenue going to a charity in support of entertainers.