Ethel Finnie
| Ethel Finnie | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ethel V. Finnie |
| Born |
January 7, 1898 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Died |
May 1, 1981 (aged 83) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Classic female blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1920s |
| Labels | Edison, Ajax, Emerson |
| Associated acts | Porter Grainger |
Ethel Finnie (January 7, 1898 – May 1, 1981)[1] was an African American classic female blues singer.[2]
Her most notable recording was "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, But Your Papa Will Be Gone". Generally, biographical information of her life outside of music is sketchy.[3]
Life
Ethel V. Finnie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second child and only daughter of Noble Armond Finnie, a butler, and Mary "Mamie" Anderson Finnie, a housewife.[4] She had an older brother, Noble Finnie, Jr.[5]
Finnie was a graduate of New Orleans University (later incorporated into Dillard University)[6] and was employed as a schoolteacher at the McDonogh School No. 6.[7]
On September 25, 1923, in Stamford, Connecticut, Finnie married the pianist and composer Porter Grainger,[8] with whom she made appearances throughout the Northeastern United States, appearing in various venues and radio programs, as found in the pages of the African-American press of the period. It appears, however, that after the birth of their daughter, Portia Lee Grainger, Finnie curtailed her activities and remained in New Orleans, close to her family, who resided at 4021 Dryades Street.[9] Eventually Porter and Finnie divorced.
She subsequently remarried, to William Turner, and went into business in New Orleans as a hair dresser,[10] and later as the owner of a beauty shop, restaurant and grocery.[11] She was involved in the sorority Iota Phi Lambda, serving as Southwestern Regional Director of the sorority during the 1950s,[12] and also served as treasurer of the Fourth Region of the National Council of Negro Women in the 1960s.[13]
Ethel Finnie Turner died in New Orleans on May 1, 1981.[14]
Career
Finnie's short recording career was partly produced by Joe Davis, whilst some of her material was written by her first husband, Porter Grainger.[3] She recorded eight songs in 1923 and 1924, including the track "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, But Your Papa Will Be Gone".[15] It was released by Edison as part of their Edison Diamond Discs in 1924, in addition to being issued on their 'Amberol' cylinder.[3]
She also recorded for Ajax and Emerson during this short time span. Another song she recorded was "Mistreatin' Daddy Blues" which was initially not released, and may have prevented her gaining a wider audience. Other little known blues singers including Gladys Bryant, Dolly Ross, and Ada Brown vied with Finnie for Grainger's material.[3]
All her recorded work was eventually released by Document Records.[3]
Selected discography
| Year | A-side (Songwriter) |
B-side (Songwriter) |
Accompaniment | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | "I Don't Love Nobody (So I Don't Have No Blues)" (Clara Smith) |
"Don't You Quit Me Daddy" (Porter Grainger) |
Porter Grainger | Ajax Records |
| 1924 | "He Wasn't Born in Araby, But He's a Sheikin' Fool" (Andy Razaf / Edgar Dowell) |
"Heart Breakin' Joe" (N/K) |
Fletcher Henderson | Emerson Records |
| 1924 | "Don't Know and Don't Care Blues" (Porter Grainger) |
"Hula Blues" (Porter Grainger) |
Porter Grainger | Ajax Records |
| 1924 | "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, But Your Papa Will Be Gone" (N/K) |
Porter Grainger | Edison Records | |
See also
References
- ↑ Listing for Ethel Turner, U.S. Social Security Death Index 1933-2014, Ancestry.com
- ↑ Harrison, Daphne Duval (1990). Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s. New Brunswick and London: Rutgers. p. 247. ISBN 0-8135-1280-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Eugene Chadbourne. "Ethel Finnie : Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ↑ New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790-1899 114:242. Baton Rouge, La.: State of Louisiana, Secretary of State, Division of Archives, Records Management, and History.
- ↑ 1900 Federal Census for City of Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi (Harrison County Enumeration District 30, Sheet 2, Lines 70-73)
- ↑ "Y.M.C.A. News," Chicago Defender, August 27, 1921, p. 8; "Plan Soiree at Dillard," Pittsburgh Courier, December 5, 1953, p. 9
- ↑ Soards' New Orleans City Directory for 1918... (New Orleans: Soards' Directory Co., Ltd., 1918), p. 447
- ↑ "Porter Granger [sic] Marries." Chicago Defender, September 29, 1923, p. 10
- ↑ 1940 Federal Census 12th Ward of City of New Orleans, Orleans Parish Enumeration District 36-337, Sheet 8-A, Lines 33-37
- ↑ Polk's 1945 New Orleans (Orleans Parish, La.) Directory for 1945-46... (New Orleans: R.L. Polk & Co., 1945), p. 1154
- ↑ Toki Schalk Johnson, "A Last Look at New Orleans, The City of Charm," Pittsburgh Courier, December 29, 1951, p. 10
- ↑ "Pledgee," Pittsburgh Courier, August 1, 1953, p. 11
- ↑ M.N. Ringgold, "Baton Rouge," Chicago Defender, May 21, 1960, p. 22
- ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Gibbs, Craig Martin (2013). Black Recording Artists, 1877-1926: An Annotated Discography. McFarland & Company. pp. 181 / 205 / 222. ISBN 978-0-7864-7238-3.
- ↑ "1923-1929 : Porter Grainger". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-18.