[3] At Thomas Starr King Junior High School she was friendly with Odetta Felious, and developed a love of folk songs.
In the early 1950s she began singing and playing guitar in folk clubs,[citation needed] and in 1955 she appeared on the TV talent show Chance of a Lifetime.
[4] Mapes was described by Shel Silverstein as "the best female folk singer and guitar player around, with unique singing style and stage presence.
In 1964 she released And You Were On My Mind on the short-lived FM label set up by Pete Kameron and Monte Kay, but the company went bankrupt before the album could be distributed.
She taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music,[7] and then worked as an award-winning copywriter, producer and jingle writer in the advertising industry, her clients including Kodak, United Airlines and Kellogg's; she provided the song for a Raisin Bran commercial.