Nancy LaMott was born on December 30, 1951 in Midland, Michigan. She began performing at age 15 with her father's dance band and later moved to San Francisco before relocating to New York City in the late 1970s. There she became popular on the city's cabaret circuit in the 1980s. In 1991, songwriter David Friedman formed MIDDER Music Records for her and released Beautiful Baby, which was an instant hit in the cabaret world. LaMott achieved national fame with performances at prestigious venues like Tavern on the Green and Carnegie Hall. She also performed twice at the White House for President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. In 1993, she won the MAC Award for Outstanding Female Vocalist. Despite being diagnosed with uterine cancer in March 1995, she continued performing until her death on December 13, 1995. Posthumously, Ask Me Again (2008) reached number 12 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.