Mildred Bailey and her Orchestra

Biography

Mildred Bailey, born Mildred Eleanor Rinker on February 27, 1907 (though some sources cite 1900 or 1903), grew up on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation in Tekoa, Washington, with her mother Josephine, a member of the Coeur d'Alene tribe. She began her career singing in speakeasies and on West Coast radio, including KMTR, before her brother Al Rinker and Bing Crosby introduced her to Paul Whiteman in 1929. Bailey became the first featured female vocalist in a big band with Whiteman's orchestra through 1932, recording hits like 'Rockin' Chair,' which earned her the nickname 'The Rockin' Chair Lady' or 'Mrs. Swing.' Her style blended jazz phrasing influenced by Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and Louis Armstrong with a high, clear soprano voice.[1][2][3][6]

After leaving Whiteman over salary disputes, Bailey married xylophonist Red Norvo in 1933, forming the duo 'Mr. and Mrs. Swing.' She recorded with ensembles like the Casa Loma Orchestra, Dorsey Brothers, and Benny Goodman's studio band, and joined Norvo's band full-time in 1936, producing tracks such as 'Smoke Dreams' and 'Darn That Dream.' Bailey hosted her own CBS radio series in 1944 and performed at New York nightclubs like Café Society into the late 1940s, despite health struggles with diabetes.[2][3][4][5]

Health issues led to hospitalizations in 1938, 1943, and 1949, forcing her retirement to a farm in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she died of heart failure on December 12, 1951, at age 44. Posthumously inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1989, she was honored with a U.S. Postal Service stamp in 1994, cementing her legacy as a pioneering female big band vocalist who influenced jazz phrasing and integration of women in bands.[3][6][7]

Fun Facts

• Bailey was the first widely recognized female vocalist to be featured regularly with a big band, inspiring other orchestras to hire women singers.
• Known as a Coeur d'Alene tribal member through her mother, she bridged Native American heritage with jazz, though often overlooked in histories.
• Bing Crosby provided financial loans to Bailey multiple times during her later health and money struggles.
• She beat out Hoagy Carmichael in an audition for Paul Whiteman, marking a pivotal moment in jazz history.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bessie Smith - primary vocal inspiration and stylistic influence on blues phrasing (imitated Smith's style in early recordings) [1920s]
• Ethel Waters - stylistic influence on jazz delivery (early career phrasing) [1920s]
• Louis Armstrong - influence on phrasing and jazz improvisation (general style in Whiteman recordings) [late 1920s-1930s]

Key Collaborators

• Paul Whiteman - orchestra leader; first big band feature (recordings including 'Georgia on My Mind,' 'Rockin' Chair') [1929-1932]
• Red Norvo - husband and bandleader; 'Mr. and Mrs. Swing' (Brunswick and Vocalion recordings like 'Smoke Dreams,' 'Someday Sweetheart') [1933-1945]
• Benny Goodman - radio and recording sessions (Camel Caravan program, Columbia recordings including 'Darn That Dream') [1939-1940]
• Al Rinker and Bing Crosby - brother and his partner; introduced her to Whiteman (facilitated Whiteman audition) [1929]

Artists Influenced

• Billie Holiday - pioneered female big band vocalist role, influencing phrasing ahead/behind beat (general big band integration) [1930s onward]
• Doris Day - followed Bailey's model as female vocalist in bands (early career band singing) [1940s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia