And, as the 1950s ended, Swan had a child. Her musician husband, the late Pete Carroll, was a jealous and controlling sort who didn't want her on the road. So she stayed home.
"Back then, I thought you had to do what your husband said," Swan recalls now.
And so Mary Swan's chance at musical immortality slipped away.
The Path To The Spotlight
For Swan, now 61, there is joy and gratitude in considering the memories of what was. But in looking back at what might have been, there is also an element of regret that can still prompt a tear or two.
The story of how she entered the music business is one that could make even the most creative publicist lick his chops. Her father, Charlie Swan, was a drummer and a singer who led a band that played nightclubs around Philadelphia. He made sure that each of his six children knew how to play an instrument. And Mary says now, he harbored dreams of a family act that would make it big.
When Mary was 12, her father started bringing her along to clubs where his band was playing. Gradually, she began to sing with them at USO clubs. Also, because the Swans had a piano, their home was a hangout for other Philadelphia bands, such as Danny and the Juniors, whose big it was "At The Hop." Members of that group encouraged Charlie Swan to give his daughter a chance to make a recording herself.
Mary and her father picked a local studio out of the phone book and reserved some time to make a demonstration record. While she was singing - and here's the storybook part - Dick Clark came in to pick up a package. He liked what he heard and signed her on the spot.
The legendary Clark was not available for comment for this story. But his publicist, Paul Shefrin, still remembers Mary Swan, if not many of the details of their dealings 43 years ago.
None of Swan's records became hits nationwide, even though they succeeded in various markets to different degrees. Always eluding her was the one breakthrough hit that would push her over the top.
"I believe in fate. It just wasn't God's will," Swan said. "I thank God I can still sing. I'm not rich, but we're enjoying our family."
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