Biography
Valaida Snow (1904 or 1905-1956) was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, into a show business family, the eldest of four children, with her mother training her and her siblings in performance arts from a young age. A child prodigy, by age five she performed as 'Valada the Great' with the family’s Pickaninny Troubadours, singing, dancing, and playing violin. By 15, she mastered cello, bass, banjo, violin, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet, favoring the trumpet which earned her the nickname 'Little Louis' from Louis Armstrong, who called her the world's second-best jazz trumpeter.[1][3][4][6]
Fun Facts
- Traveled with a chauffeur-driven car accompanied by a footman and a monkey, all dressed alike, showcasing her flamboyant lifestyle in Europe.[1]
- Imprisoned by Nazis in Denmark in 1941, released after 18 months in a prisoner exchange weighing only 65 pounds.[1]
- Headlined at Chicago's Sunset Cafe in 1928, earning admiration from Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines.[4]
- Toured Asia from 1926-1928 with Jack Carter's Serenaders in Shanghai, Singapore, Calcutta, and Jakarta.[4]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Louis Armstrong - Stylistic influence and admirer who nicknamed her 'Little Louis' and called her second-best trumpeter (Inspired her trumpet style) [1920s-1930s]
- Mother (Snow family) - Trained her in performance from childhood (Pickaninny Troubadours) [Early 1900s]
Key Collaborators
- Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake - Joined their Broadway production (Chocolate Dandies (1924-1925)) [1923-1925]
- Lew Leslie - Toured with his revue in Europe (Blackbirds (1926)) [1926]
- Josephine Baker - Fellow performer in Paris pre-WWII (Shared European scene) [1930s]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Princess | 2021-01-22 | Album |
| The Queen of Trumpet - Harlem Nights with Valaida | 2025-06-06 | Album |
| Complete Jazz Series 1937 - 1940 | 2009-06-29 | Album |
| Swing is the Thing | 2020-12-17 | Album |
| Complete Jazz Series 1933 - 1936 | 2009-06-29 | Album |
| I Got Rhythm | 2021-10-05 | Album |
| Complete Jazz Series 1940 - 1953 | 2009-06-29 | Album |
| Trumpet | 2018-08-23 | Album |
| Imagination | 2016-07-15 | Album |
| Snowing All Night | 2023-09-08 | Album |
| The Legend Of Valaida (1935-1940) | 2019-11-15 | Album |
| Valaida Snow: 1933 - 1936 (Live) | 2019-03-22 | Album |
| Valaida Snow, 1935-1937 | 2017-12-15 | Album |
| Poor Butterfly | 2016-05-22 | Album |
| It's Good for Ya | 2015-02-25 | Album |
Top Tracks
- If I Only Had You (Chattanooga Princess)
- Fool That I Am (Chattanooga Princess)
- If I Only Had You (12- ?-45) (Complete Jazz Series 1940 - 1953)
- You’ Re Driving Me Crazy (I Got Rhythm)
- Swing Is The Thing (07-08-37) (Complete Jazz Series 1937 - 1940)
- Tiger Rag (Swing is the Thing)
- Some Of These Days (07-08-37) (Complete Jazz Series 1937 - 1940)
- You're Driving Me Crazy (07-26-40) (Complete Jazz Series 1937 - 1940)
- Some of These Days (Swing is the Thing)
- Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone (01- ?-50) (Complete Jazz Series 1940 - 1953)
External Links
Tags: #2008-universal-fire-victim, #jazz
References
Heard on WWOZ
VALAIDA SNOW has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17, 2025 | 10:44 | YOU'RE NOT THE KINDfrom VALAIDA SNOW VOLUME ONE | Traditional Jazzw/ Tom Saunders |