Juanita Stinnette Chappelle

Juanita Stinnette Chappelle (June 3, 1899 – June 4, 1932) was a singer, vaudeville performer, and co-producer of both the Chappelle and Stinnette Revue and Chappelle and Stinnette Records during the Harlem Renaissance era.

Career

Little is known about here early life except that at a young age she was convinced by her future husband, Thomas Chappelle to join him in a life of show business. In 1912, Stinnette toured with a vaudeville and musical comedy act called the Salem Tutt Whitney and Homer Tutt’s Smart Set Company. She and her husband toured together and in 1922 they had their own act called the Chappelle and Stinnette Revue. They starred as a dancing team in revues such as Yaller Gal (1924) and Kentucky Sue (1926). Musicians such as Bobby Lee, Percy Clasco, and Seymour Errick provided music for the duo.

In 1926, Stinnette and her husband produced nine blues disks under their label, Chappelle and Stinnette Records. The only song recorded by the label to not be sung by the couple is “Decatur Street Blues,” by Clarence Williams. Stinnette also performed in Broadway shows such as How Come? (1923), Deep Harlem (1929,) and Sugar Hill (1931).

Death

Juanita Stinnette Chappelle died of peritonitis the day after her thirty–third birthday in 1932.^[1]

References