Known in some circles as “The First Lady of Song”, I was born in Virginia, USA.
My early years were spent dreaming about being a dancer; however I loved listening to jazz recordings of Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.

My mother died in 1932 from injuries caused by a car accident when I was only 15 years old. The trauma these events inflicted on me caused my grades to drop and me to rebel. I was the lookout for a neighborhood bordello, and a runner for the mafia. I was arrested and made to attend reform school. I escaped from Reform School and was homeless for some time.

In 1934, I made my singing debut at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. Although I originally meant to dance, fear caused me to opt for singing instead. I won the 1st prize of $25 in what was one of the first of the infamous Amateur Nights that the Apollo Theatre would be known for.

My singing career grew gradually from there as I was honored to play with several big bands. I was the first African-American to play at the Mocambo after Marilyn Monroe lobbied the owner for the booking for me. The Songbook series of 8 records I developed and sang made for most of my acclaim in commercial record sales in the US.

I was married twice, first to a convicted drug dealer and hustler and in my later years suffered from diabetes. I was blinded by the disease and in 1993 had both my legs amputated. I died in 1996 at the age of 79 years.

Enjoy this week's trivia and email your answer to me at Emmah@crnewsletter.com by Wednesday 24th October 2007.