 Sponheim was originally from Rudyard, Montana, where her family owned an auto supply store. She began playing the piano at age five, when her mother would drive her on an 80-mile (130 km) round trip to Havre to take classical piano lessons. By the age of 12, she was playing with adults in a dance band, earning $ 10 per night. She began singing as well as playing the piano during a time in her life when she lived in Billings, Montana. She was a 28-year-old divorced single mother of three when she started working as the Sip 'n Dip's piano player in 1963, taking the position as a second job in order to support her children. She simultaneously worked as a medical transcriptionist for 38 years before retiring from her day job in 2000. She celebrated 50 years of employment at the Sip 'n Dip in December 2013 and at that time she was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. She has released two albums, only for sale at the Sip' n Dip, and though she takes requests, she refuses to play modern rock music. She continues to work because it is not only a job but also her social life, "It's a chance to get out of the house. I enjoy the lounge, and it keeps me going."
