Cab Calloway


Calloway, Cab

(Cabell Calloway) (kăl`əwā'), 1907–94, jazz singer and band leader, b. Rochester, N.Y. Known for his inventive creativity, he hired some of the top musicians of his day for his jazz orchestra, including Dizzy GillespieGillespie, Dizzy
(John Birks Gillespie) , 1917–93, American jazz musician and composer, b. Cheraw, S.C. He began to play the trumpet at 15 and later studied harmony and theory at Laurinburg Institute, N.C. He played with the bands of Cab Calloway and Billy Eckstine.
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 and Milt Hinton; he also promoted singers Pearl Bailey and Lena HorneHorne, Lena
(Lena Mary Calhoun Horne), 1917–2010, American singer and actress, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Elegantly beautiful, Horne entered show business at 16 in the chorus line at Harlem's Cotton Club; she later sang there and was a vocalist with numerous bands.
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. Cab Calloway and his band became famous as a result of radio broadcasts (1931–32) from New York City's Cotton Club, and were one of the highest earning bands of the 1930s and 40s. His hits included "Minnie the Moocher" (1931) and "Blues in the Night" (1942). He also appeared in several films.

Bibliography

See his Of Minnie the Moocher and Me (1976, with B. Rollins); biography by A. Shipton (2010).

Calloway, (Cabell) Cab

(1907–94) jazz musician; born in Rochester, N.Y. A versatile song and dance man, he led a succession of outstanding big bands between 1928–53. He was featured in the 1979 movie The Blues Brothers.