BLANCHE CALLOWAY

Blanche Calloway ( 1902-1978) was was an early female band leader, one of the first to front an all-male orchestra , and the older sister of Cab Calloway. She was scattin' before he was, dropping out of  Maryland's then controversial all negro Morgan State College in 1923 for a life in show business. She recorded in the 20's for Okeh and Vocalion, including a 1925 session with Louis Armstrong. In 1931, she was invited to tour with Andy Kirk and joined  Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy. She was a popular & brash live performer, who often ended up upstaging the bandleader, eventually leaving with his disgruntled trumpet player Edgar "Puddin Head" Battle to start her own outfit. Determined to go out on her own, blanche calloway and her joy boys became a top rated touring act, recording for RCA-Victor until they disbanded in 1938. They read more...