[4] She attended the Roy H. Mann Jr. High School in Brooklyn until 1969, when she transferred to a private academy in Manhattan.

[5] Budd began her singing career at the age of 12 when, after winning amateur night at a resort camp, she was spotted by producer Herb Bernstein, who became her manager and arranger.

[12][13][14] Appearing at Caesars Palace at the age of 16, Budd became the youngest opening act for Frank Sinatra.

[6] She also became a frequent performer on the Las Vegas Strip, supporting Sinatra, Liberace, George Burns, and Bob Hope.

[15] She starred in the 1981 Walt Disney film The Devil and Max Devlin as a 19-year-old high school dropout and aspiring singer.