To kick off Women’s History Month, I want to introduce you to an artist you might not be super aware of…Blanche Calloway. Jazz singer, bandleader, and composer.

Blanche is recognized as the first black woman to successfully lead an all-male Jazz orchestra under her own name!

She also just happened to be the older sister of Cab Calloway, yes that Cab Calloway the famous big band leader (seen below). Cab Calloway often credited her with being the reason he got into show business (Source).

In fact… Cab Calloway borrowed key elements from his elder sister’s act — her bravura vocal style and Hi-de-Ho call and response routines.  His 1976 memoir acknowledges her influence, declaring Blanche….

Vivacious, lovely, personality plus and a hell of a singer and dancer,” an all-around entertainer who was “fabulous, happy and extroverted.”

(Source).

Blanche Calloway-1930s Jazz singer, bandleader, and Composer

About Blanche Calloway

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 9th, 1904. She was the oldest of what would be 4 siblings in total (Cab, Elmer & Bernice).

Music was a tradition in the Calloway home with Blanche in her early days studying piano and voice and even singing in her church choir.

After a brief stay at Morgan State College, Blanche Calloway began her professional career in Baltimore as a singer in local revues, stage shows, and nightclubs. She was very successful in Chicago during the early 1920s at the prestigious Sunset Café and even made a blues record accompanied by cornet player Louis Armstrong (Source).  

Blanche Calloway, late 1920s or early ’30s. Source: Old Times Blues.net

Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, and later Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra

Source: Discogs.com

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 (Source).

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. Between 1931 and 1938, Calloway headed her own all-male band—Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, and later Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra—which included some of the top musicians of the day. Appearing at New York’s exclusive black theaters, the band played the Lafayette, the Harlem Opera House, and the Apollo. With their theme song “Growlin’ Dan,” they performed across the United States and recorded frequently for Victor. They disbanded in 1938 due to financial difficulties.

In a survey conducted by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1931, Calloway’s band ranked 9th of 38, only 5 slots behind Louis Armstrong. A reviewer for the Courier called her “one of the most progressive performers in the profession.” (Source).

Source: Lelands.com

Check out Growlin Dan below and if you know Cab Calloway’s music then you can 100% hear where he got his signature sound from.

The Later Years

Though her last official orchestra disbanded in 1938, Calloway ran an all-woman band briefly during World War II.  By 1944, she had tired of life on the road and settled in Philadelphia, where she became active in community and political affairs. After moving to Florida in 1953, she became a disc jockey on radio station WMEM out of Miami. She later founded and served as president of Afram House, a company specializing in cosmetics and hair preparations for blacks. Continuing her activity in politics, in 1958 Calloway was the first black woman in Miami to vote (Source).

She died in 1973.

Blanche Calloway‘s Music

For a complete list of all of Blanche’s music, please visit HERE.

Here are some samples….

“Lazy Woman’s Blues”, 1925 with Louis Armstrong on Cornet (or maybe Trumpet, not sure). (Video Source)

“Catch On” Blanche Calloway and her Joy Boys Recorded 27th August 1934. Video Source

“I Gotta Swing”, Recorded 6th November 1935. (Video Source)

My final Thoughts:

Blanche while successful never achieved the same fame that her brother Cab achieved and this was most likely due to the time period she was alive. Who can say what would of happened to her music if she was born in our time? I like to think that she would of been as popular as her brother, maybe even more. Imagine the collaborations we would of seen?! Sadly we will never know, but I am very happy to have brought her name to all of you to read about today.

I know that before putting this blog post together that I have ZERO clue about her story and her music. Now that is not the case. Blanche Calloway lives on here at the Vintage Inn and I’m so glad she is here.

Thanks for reading friends!

FURTHER READING:

• Vintage Women’s History blog posts by the Vintage Inn Blog
• Women of the Big Band Era Everyone Should Know

Liz