Matthews sang in a church choir and at high school dances prior to embarking on a career in music.
She worked in a Bell Telephone office while singing nights at the Club Bluenote in Toronto.
[1] Her debut single, "Big Town Boy", was a major hit in Canada in 1964, selling over a million copies.
"Big Town Boy" debuted on 1050 CHUM in Toronto on 2 December 1963, the same day as the Beatles' "She Loves You".
[3] In 1967, she married, taking the name Shirley Vedder, and quit the music industry, eventually becoming the CEO of a chain of racquetball and sports fitness clubs.