Jarboe was born in Mississippi and raised in the Southern United States, primarily in New Orleans and Atlanta, in a Roman Catholic family.

"[8] As a child, Jarboe learned to play a Hammond organ,[9] and studied opera at the insistence of her father, who hoped for her to have a career as a singer.

[7] She came into contact with Michael Gira and attended the band's practice sessions before, after several auditions, joining as a vocalist and keyboardist and debuting on Greed (1986).

[10]Between 1985 and 1997, she worked as a vocalist and keyboardist in the band, appearing on albums including Children of God (1987), The Burning World (1989), and Soundtracks for the Blind (1996).

[9] She also collaborated with Gira as a duo, forming their side project, The World of Skin in 1987, releasing several albums and singles.

Jarboe continued her solo career, releasing various experimental records (many of which she has self-released and distributed over the internet)[11] including Sacrificial Cake (1995) and Anhedoniac (1998).