Born Norma Larsen on a dairy farm in Shoshone County, Idaho, she grew up in Seattle, Washington after her father moved the family west when she was 2 years old.

[1] Zimmer was singing in a church choir when a guest artist suggested she travel to Los Angeles, California and audition for a musical group.

When she turned 18, she did just that, singing with a succession of top vocal groups, including the Norman Luboff Choir and the Ken Darby Singers, among others.

[citation needed] In 1959, the previous Champagne Lady Alice Lon left the show because of monetary and scheduling disagreements.

[5] Zimmer sang as lead soprano with the Norman Luboff Choir, Voices of Walter Schumann, Pete King Chorale, and the Ken Darby Singers.

"[1] She sang with the Billy Graham Crusade and on the Hour of Power[6] and was a soloist at a White House service during the Nixon Administration.

In business matters, she and her husband owned the ski lodge at Kratka Ridge and had a mobile home park with more than 100 spaces.