Mildred Bailey

Biography

Bailey was born Mildred Rinker on a farm in rural Tekoa, Washington in 1899 or 1900. Her mother Josephine was an enrolled member of the Coeur d'Alene people and a devout Roman Catholic.

Mildred and her siblings grew up near De Smet, Idaho on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation. Her father played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening and taught Mildred to play and sing. Her younger brothers include Al, a vocalist and composer, and Charles, a lyricist, respectively.

Music career

At age 17, Rinker moved to Seattle and worked as a sheet music demonstrator at Woolworth's. She married and divorced Ted Bailey, keeping his last name because she thought it sounded more "American" than Rinker, which was of Swiss (German) origin.

With the help of her second husband Benny Stafford, Bailey became an established blues and jazz singer on the west coast of the United States. According to Gary Giddins, in his book Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 1903–1940, she secured work in 1925 for her brother Al Rinker and his partner Bing Crosby, who had started performing in Spokane, Washington. They joined her in Los Angeles. Giddins says that Crosby first heard Louis Armstrong and other Chicago black jazz musicians from records from Bailey's collection.

Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman in Los Angeles. She sang with Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933. According to Giddins, Whiteman had a popular radio program, and when Bailey debuted on it with her version of "Moanin' Low" in 1929, favorable public reaction was immediate. Bailey did not start recording with Whiteman until late 1931.

Her first two records were as uncredited vocalist for a session by the Eddie Lang Orchestra in 1929 ("What Kind o' Man Is You?", a Hoagy Carmichael song that was issued only in the UK), and a 1930 recording of "I Like to Do Things for You" for Frankie Trumbauer. She was Whiteman's popular female vocalist through 1932 (recording in a smooth, crooning style) but left the band later that same year over salary disagreements. She recorded several works for Brunswick in 1933 (accompanied by the Dorsey Brothers) and an all-star session with Benny Goodman's studio band in 1934, featuring Coleman Hawkins.

In 1930 Bailey married Red Norvo, a vibraphonist, improviser, and band leader. A dynamic couple, they were married until 1942, and were known as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing". They lived and worked much of the time in New York City. They remained friends after their divorce.

From 1936-39, Norvo recorded for Brunswick (with Bailey as primary vocalist), and Bailey recorded for Vocalion, often with Norvo's band. Some of her other recordings featured members of Count Basie's band. The two continued to record together off and on until 1945. Bailey also sang on a number of Benny Goodman's Columbia recordings in 1939 and 1940.

A large woman, she suffered from diabetes. Due to her health, she retired for a time in 1944. She made only a few recordings following World War II and suffered from poverty but she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1947.

Bailey died of heart failure, due chiefly to diabetes, on December 12, 1951 in Poughkeepsie, New York, at age 44. Her ashes were scattered.

Awards and honors

Number one hits

In 1938, Bailey had two number one hits with Red Norvo and His Orchestra. "Please Be Kind" reached number one on the Hit Parade chart on May 7. She also sang lead vocals with Norvo on "Says My Heart", which reached number one during the week of June 18, 1938.

Bailey sang lead vocals on "Darn That Dream", recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, which reached number one for one week in March 1940 on the U.S. pop singles chart.

Hit singles

(Vocalion releases only)

Notable songs