A Salute to the Golden Age of American Popular Music

We salute the music from Broadway, Hollywood, New Orleans, Tin Pan Alley and the "melody makers;" i.e. the bands and singers that brought the music to us via the radio, recordings and live events in the period from the 1920's to the 1960's. This is the golden period of Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Larry Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Van Heusen, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, etc.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Billie Holiday...first black singer with a white big band?



Question: "Who was the first black singer with a big time white band?"

Answer: Most jazz historians believe Billie Holiday was the first when she joined Artie Shaw's Orchestra as lead vocalist. She began singing with the group in 1938. Despite the continuing support of the entire band, however, show promoters and radio sponsors soon began objecting to Holiday -- based on her unorthodox singing style almost as much as her race. After a series of escalating indignities, Holiday quit the band in disgust.

Here is Billie singing the great standard "I Can't Get Started (with you)"

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1 comment:

  1. 9788839May 23, 2021 at 3:32 AM

    I've just discovered her Teddy ? band version of These Foolish Things. I can't express what joy it brings me. Bliss. Absolute bliss.
    She was a tragic figure who faced so much cruel, moronic racism. God bless her. I hope she and others are at peace now.

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