INA RAY HUTTON AND HER MELODEARS

Biography

Ina Ray Hutton, born Odessa Cowan on March 13, 1916, in Chicago, Illinois, was a pioneering American bandleader, singer, and dancer, best known for leading one of the first all-female big bands, the Melodears. Raised in a musical family—her mother, Marvel Ray, was a professional pianist—Hutton began performing on stage at age eight and appeared in Broadway revues throughout her teens, including the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934. In 1934, with the encouragement of music publisher Irving Mills and agent Alex Hyde, she changed her name and formed Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears, an all-women swing orchestra that quickly gained national attention for their energetic performances and glamorous style.

The Melodears, featuring musicians such as trumpeter Frances Klein and pianist Ruth Lowe, became one of the first all-female bands to be recorded and filmed, appearing in short films and the feature 'Big Broadcast of 1936.' Despite making relatively few recordings, the group’s visibility in film and radio helped break gender barriers in jazz and swing. After the Melodears disbanded in 1939, Hutton led an all-male orchestra through the 1940s, appearing in the film 'Ever Since Venus' (1944) and recording for Elite and Okeh labels. In the 1950s, she returned to leading all-female bands, starring in 'The Ina Ray Hutton Show' on television. Hutton retired from music in 1968 and died in 1984 from complications of diabetes.

Hutton’s musical style was rooted in swing and up-tempo jazz, and her leadership and showmanship paved the way for future generations of women in jazz. Her legacy endures as a trailblazer who challenged conventions and brought all-female ensembles to the forefront of American music.

Fun Facts

• Ina Ray Hutton was billed as the 'Blonde Bombshell of Rhythm' and was known for her glamorous stage presence and elaborate wardrobe, reportedly owning over 400 gowns.
• She was one of the first women to lead a prominent big band in the swing era, and her Melodears were among the first all-female bands to be filmed for Paramount musical shorts.
• Hutton's pianist Ruth Lowe later wrote the classic song 'I'll Be Seeing You,' which became a hit for Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra.
• Although born to a Black family, Hutton passed as white throughout her career, a fact not widely known during her lifetime.

Members

• Ina Ray Hutton - eponymous, original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Marvel Ray - Ina Ray Hutton's mother and early musical teacher, professional pianist in Chicago (Childhood musical training) [1920s]

Key Collaborators

• Ruth Lowe - Pianist in the Melodears, later a prominent songwriter (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears) [1934-1939]
• Frances Klein - Trumpeter in the Melodears (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears) [1934-1939]
• George Paxton - Saxophonist/arranger in Ina Ray Hutton's all-male orchestra (Ina Ray Hutton Orchestra) [1940s]
• Hal Schaefer - Pianist in Ina Ray Hutton's all-male orchestra (Ina Ray Hutton Orchestra) [1940s]

Artists Influenced

• June Hutton - Younger half-sister, successful singer, performed with Ina on TV (The Ina Ray Hutton Show) [1950s]
• Women jazz bandleaders - Inspired future generations of female musicians and bandleaders by breaking gender barriers (Legacy of all-female big bands) [1940s-present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. And I Still Do (The Big Broadcast, Volume 5: Jazz and Popular Music of the 1920s and 1930s)
2. And I Still Do (The Classic Roaring '20s)
3. Truckin' (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
4. And I Still Do (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
5. Georgia's Gorgeous Gal (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
6. Wild Party (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
7. Twenty-Four Hours in Georgia (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
8. Witch Doctor (Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears (1934 - 1944))
9. Witch Doctor (Jazz Mad 1930s)
10. Wild Party (Jazz Mad 1930s)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz