Una Mae Carlisle (December 26, 1915 – November 7, 1956)[1] was an American jazz singer, pianist, and songwriter.
Una Mae Carlisle | |
|---|---|
 Una Mae Carlisle, c. 1945 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 26, 1915 Zanesville, Ohio, United States |
| Died | November 7, 1956 (aged 40) Harlem, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, swing, stride |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, pianist, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano |
Early life edit
Carlisle was born in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of Mellie and Edward Carlisle.[2][3][4][5] She was of African and Native American descent.[6] Trained to play piano by her mother, she was performing in public by age three.
Career edit
Still a child, she performed regularly on radio station WHIO (AM) in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1932, while she was still in her teens, Fats Waller discovered Carlisle while she worked as a local Cincinnati, Ohio, performer live and on radio.[7] Her piano style was very much influenced by Waller's; she played in a boogie-woogie/stride style and incorporated humor into her sets.
She played solo from 1937, touring Europe repeatedly and recording with Waller late in the 1930s.[7]
In the 1940s, Carlisle recorded as a leader for Bluebird Records, with sidemen such as Lester Young, Benny Carter, and John Kirby.[7] She had a longtime partnership with producer/publisher/manager Joe Davis, which began after her contract with Bluebird expired. Her records under Davis included performances from Ray Nance, Budd Johnson, and Shadow Wilson.
She also saw success as a songwriter. Her 1941 song "Walkin' By The River" made her "the first black woman to have a composition appear on a Billboard chart".[6] Cab Calloway and Peggy Lee were among those who covered her tunes. She had her own radio show, The Una Mae Carlisle Radio Show on WJZ-ABC, making her the "first black American to host a national radio show";[6] and television programs in the 1940s.
Personal life edit
Carlisle was married to Johnnie Bradford, a former Marine Merchant. They married in September 11, 1941. Bradford was the owner of Gee-Haw Stables, a jazz venue in Harlem.
Carlisle suffered from chronic mastoiditis, requiring repeated surgeries and hospitalizations.[8]
Partial discography edit
- "Tain't Yours" b/w "Without You Baby" (Beacon, 1944)
- Boarding House Blues (1948)[9]
- Una Mae Carlisle Discography of American Historical Recordings[10]
References edit
- ^ Wagner, Paulette (1994). "Carlisle, Una Mae (1915–1956)". Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 218. ISBN 0-253-32774-1.
- ^ "Una Mae's Hit Sweeps Nation". The Afro American. April 26, 1941. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via news.google.com.
- ^ Budds, Michael J. (2000). "Carlisle, Una Mae (1915 - 1956), Songwriters, Jazz Musicians, Jazz Singers, Pianists". American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1802748. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "City Of Lost Boundaries". Jet. November 22, 1951. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via Google Books.
- ^ Rye, Howard. "Una Mae Carlisle". nationaljazzarchive.co.uk. Storeyville. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ a b c Scheinman, Ted (January–February 2021). "Fascinating Women". Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. p. 20.
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 415. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "Una Mae Carlisle Buried In Ohio". The New York Age. November 17, 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2015-05-07). Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-4702-4.
- ^ "Una Mae Carlisle". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-10-19.