BLANCHE CALLOWAY  

WOMEN IN JAZZ SITE CONTENTS

WOMEN IN JAZZ

  1. Toshiko Akiyoshi
  2. Geri Allen
  3. Andrews Sisters
  4. Angela Andrews
  5. Lil Harden Armstrong
  6. Dorothy Ashby
  7. Pearl Bailey
  8. Beverly Barkley
  9. Karen Briggs
  10. Ruth Brown
  11. Blanche Calloway
  12. Diane Cameron
  13. Betty Carter
  14. Joan Cartwright
  15. Kim Clarke
  16. Gloria Coleman
  17. Alice Coltrane
  18. Sasha Daltonn
  19. Dorothy Donegan
  20. Ella Fitzgerald
  21. Gloria Galante
  22. Rita Graham
  23. Jace Harnage
  24. Billie Holiday
  25. Bertha Hope
  26. Shirley Horn
  27. Lena Horne
  28. Alberta Hunter
  29. Jus' Cynthia
  30. Sandra Kaye
  31. Emme Kemp
  32. Vinnie Knight
  33. Lavelle
  34. Peggy Lee
  35. Abbey Lincoln
  36. Melba Liston
  37. Gloria Lynne
  38. Tania Maria
  39. Marian McPartland
  40. Carmen McRae
  41. Mabel Mercer
  42. M'zuri
  43. Sandy Patton
  44. Trudy Pitts
  45. Cheryl Porter
  46. Shirley Scott
  47. Nina Simone
  48. Bessie Smith
  49. Dakota Staton
  50. Carol Sudhalter
  51. Monnette Sudler
  52. Sarah Vaughn
  53. Dinah Washington
  54. Ethel Waters
  55. Mary Lou Williams

DIVA JOAN CARTWRIGHT

www.divajc.com

Born in 1925, in New York,  Blanche Calloway was a popular singer and bandleader during the 1930s. She studied music at Morgan State College before dropping out to pursue a career in show business. Her big break came in 1923 when offered a part in a musical touring company. Her vocal talents quickly made her a spotlight entertainer, and she began working nightclubs across the country. In the mid- and late 1920s she recorded for Okeh and Vocalion, including a 1925 session with Louis Armstrong. She also worked with her brother, noted entertainer and bandleader Cab Calloway,

In 1931, while performing at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia, Blanche was heard by bandleader Andy Kirk. Kirk asked her to sing with his outfit, the Clouds of Joy. While touring with the orchestra she quickly found herself the featured attraction. Watching her popularity soar she made an attempt to steal leadership of the group from Kirk. When Kirk figured out the plot he quickly dumped her.

Still determined to have her own orchestra, Blanche found an ally in Kirk trumpet player Edgar ''Puddin Head'' Battle, who helped her put together a group. Called Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, the band at times included Ben Webster and Cozy Cole. It later changed its name to Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra. She was the first black woman to front an all-male orchestra. Considered one of the best African-American outfits in the country, the group toured and recorded for RCA Victor, finally disbanding in 1938 due to financial difficulties.

Blanche continued performing solo but found her audience shrinking. In 1940 she put together an all-female orchestra, which soon disbanded due to lack of bookings. Blanche retired from show business in 1944. In the early 1950s she managed a nightclub in Washington, DC, where she is credited with discovering R&B singer Ruth Brown. In the 1960s she worked as a disc jockey in Miami and operated a mail-order hair care business. Blanche Calloway passed away in 1978 after a battle with breast cancer.

1925-1935

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