Mildred Bailey

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Mildred Bailey (February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a popular American singer during the 1930s.

Born Mildred Rinker in Tekoa, Washington, Bailey retained the last name of her first husband, Ted Bailey, when she moved to Seattle to bolster her singing career. With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she became an established blues and jazz singer on the east coast. in 1925 she secured work for her brother, Al Rinker and his partner Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby. Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman. She sang with Paul Whiteman's band 1929 to 1933. In 1929, Whiteman had a popular radio program and when Bailey debuted with her version of "Moaning Low" in 1929, public reaction was immediate. Strangely, she didn't start recording with Whiteman until late 1931. She was Whiteman's popular female vocalist through 1932, when she left the band due to salary disagreements. She then recorded an excellent series of records for Brunswick in 1933 (accompanied by the Dorsey Brothers) and a particularly excellent session with Benny Goodman's studio band in 1934. In the mid 1930s, she recorded with her third husband Red Norvo. A dynamic couple, they earned the nicknames "Mr. and Mrs. Swing." During this period (from 1936-1939) Norvo recorded for Brunswick (with Bailey as primary vocalist) and Bailey recorded her own set of recordings for Vocalion, often with Norvo's band. Some of her recordings featured members of Count Basie's band. Dispite her divorce from Red, she and her third husband would continue to record together in until 1945. Suffering from diabetes and depression, she only made a few recordings following the Second World War. She died in Poughkeepsie, New York of heart failure, which was chiefly due to her diabetes.

Jazz vocal collectors consider her one of the best Jazz vocalists of her era. Despite being a very big woman, Bailey had a sweet, rather small yet very expressive voice and quite a unique vocal style. Many of the tunes she recorded were among the best versions recorded (good examples of this were "When Day Is Done" (1935), "'Long About Midnight" (1936), "Where Are You?", "Rockin' Chair", "It's The Natural Thing To Do" and "Bob White" (1937), and "Thanks For The Memory", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart" and "Born To Swing" (1938). In 1939, Bailey fronted a 6 side session as "Mildred Bailey and her Oxford Greys" for Vocalion, which featured a brilliant small mixed-race combo of Mary Lou Williams (piano), Floyd Smith (electric guitar), John Williams (bass) and Eddie Dougherty (drums). 3 of these songs were 1920's Black blues sung in a very sophisticated and intimate swing style.

<Cafe Society Uptown did not open until 1940. She, Norvo and the up-and-coming record producer John Hammond were together when they heard Holiday in early 1933.>It was Mildred Bailey, playing at New York City's Cafe Society Uptown in 1933, who, upon hearing the 18 year-old Billie Holiday, recognised the young singer's talent. She haughtily acknowledged that "that girl has got it." Bailey was the talk of the town at the time, but soon would be displaced by her nemesis, Holiday, who was singing at the Cafe Society Downtown.<Cafe Society Downtown did not open until 1939, when she was the opening act, six years into her career.>

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