Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Charlotte Crossley better known as Charlo got her start singing in the choir at Metropolitan Community Church at the tender age of seven. She continued music education in elementary school learning the piano and clarinet and continued until she graduated from South Shore High School. At fifteen, she got her start in theater with roles in West Side Story and the Three Penny Opera at the Young Men's Jewish Community Center where she was encouraged by the director to audition for HAIR, The Musical: the American tribal love-rock musical by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt McDermott's, which was opening a Chicago company. She went to an open call right after graduation and was cast.

This would be the beginning of a long-term career in showbiz. Her newfound success was bittersweet as it came with a price to pay. Charlo’s father did not want her to audition and she soon left home without his approval. She was performing eight shows a week. While it was hard work for young Charlo, but being the center of attention was second nature to the burgeoning star. She continued with the Chicago Company, traveled to Las Vegas, and ultimately went on the Tony Award-winning production’s first national tour. After moving to New York City, she joined the original Broadway cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice which later won a Tony Award.

Charlo later met and toured with Bette Midler and Barry Manilow, which opened many doors that led to recording for CBS Records with the highly coveted trio of backup singers formerly known as The Harlettes with Sharon Redd and Ula Hedwig. Through hard work and determination, Charlo has been blessed to have maintained longevity in the entertainment business. Her music credits include working with the likes of Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Lainie Kazan, Muddy Waters, Sister's Love, Boz Scaggs, and Hiroshima.

She has also appeared on the big screen in films including The “Preachers Wife,” “Beaches,” “Sister Act 1,” “Sister Act 2,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Faster,” the Emmy Award-winning HBO Behind the Candelabra, and most recently featured in the Academy Award-winning documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom,” directed by Morgan Neville, which reveals the untold stories of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.

The American dream came true for Catalina Popescu in October of 1986 when she and her husband Bob created a supper club devoted to serving an experience of superb eats and the shared magic of live performance. That grand experience began at the door where every night her mother Maria would greet each guest as family and share in their love of music. Housed in Hollywood and decked out in a timeless charm, the club offers a cozy ambience under sparkling stage lights garnished with its signature concoction — Jazz. The first artist to grace the stage was the masterful flutist and saxophonist Buddy Collette, and ever since then, over the past 36 years, the Catalina Jazz Club has hosted the most illustrious legends of all time — from the powerful puffers of Dizzy Gillespie to the electrified fingers of McCoy Tyner, the bubbly belt of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lynda Carter, the flirtatious saxophone of Joshua Redman, the slick strumming of Kenny Burrell, the insane drum clinic of Steve Gadd, the romance of Steve Tyrell, and the masterclass of Mike Stern.

For Catalina, Jazz is our way of life. It breathes pain. It knows love. It dreams hope. It bleeds courage. Whether we’re showcasing Broadway, Soul, R&B, or stand-up comedy, the lesson learned from all the greats who have serenaded our spirits is how to connect to one another. And that’s why the Catalina Jazz Club will always have a table ready for you.

The Catalina Jazz Club has been honored by A.S.M.A.C., California Jazz Foundation, Los Angeles Jazz Society, and a City of Los Angeles Certificate of Appreciation on their 25th Anniversary, which was awarded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the LA City Council which included then City Council member and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.