As a collaborative recording artist, Stafford first teamed with The Pied Pipers on the 1945 US top ten single, "The Trolley Song".

Stafford had nine US top ten singles during the 1950s including "Tennessee Waltz" (1951), "Shrimp Boats" (1951) and "Keep It a Secret" (1952).

As one half of the comedic duo, Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, a 1967 cover of the song "Carioca" was issued as a single.

This began with As You Desire Me (1953) and later included My Heart's in the Highlands (1954), Soft and Sentimental (1955), A Gal Named Jo (1956) and Swingin' Down Broadway (1958).

Her final studio album was 1982's Darlene Remembers Duke, Jonathan Plays Fats.