Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933
Background information
Birth name	Cabell Calloway III
Born	December 25, 1907(1907-12-25) in Rochester, New York
Died	November 18, 1994 (aged 86) in Hockessin, Delaware
Genre(s)	Jazz, blues
Occupation(s)	Bandleader, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Singer
Website	http://www.cabcallowayllc.com

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a famous American jazz singer and bandleader. Carl Van Vechten ( June 17, 1880 &ndash December 21, 1964) was an American Writer and Photographer who was a Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Hockessin is a Census-designated place (CDP in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. In Vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with random vocables and syllables or without words at all The United States of America —commonly referred to as the African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be Calloway's Orchestra featured performers that included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( October 21 1917 &ndash January 6 1993) was an American Jazz Trumpeter Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, much better known as Doc Cheatham ( 13 June, 1905 &ndash 2 June, 1997) was a Jazz Trumpeter Benjamin Francis Webster ( March 27 1909 &ndash September 20 1973) aka " The Brute " or " Frog," was an Leon "Chu" Berry ( September 13, 1908 – October 30, 1941) was an American swing tenor saxophonist Danny Barker ( 13 January 1909 &ndash 13 March, 1994) born Daniel Moses Barker, was a Jazz Banjoist, Singer Milt Hinton born Milton John Hilton ( Vicksburg, Mississippi, June 23, 1910; d Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.

Biography

Early years

Calloway was born in a middle-class family in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918, on Sycamore Street. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. He was later raised in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Cabell Calloway II, was a lawyer, and his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person His parents recognized their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922. He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and vocal teachers' disapproval of jazz, Calloway began frequenting and eventually performing in many of Baltimore's jazz clubs, where he was mentored by drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones. William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb ( February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was a Jazz and Swing music

After graduating from high school Cab joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself would become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and Cab would often credit his inspiration to enter show business to her). Blanche Calloway ( February 9, 1904 - December 16, 1978) was a Jazz Singer, Bandleader, and Composer Cab attended Lincoln University, PA , and left in 1930 without graduating. Lincoln University ( LU) is America's first degree granting historically black university located in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania

When the tour ended in Chicago in the fall, Cab decided to remain in Chicago with his sister, who had an established career as a jazz singer in that city. His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College. The Crane School of Music is located in Potsdam New York, and is one of three schools which make up the State University of New York (SUNY at Potsdam.

His main interest, however, was in singing and entertaining, and he spent most of his nights at the Dreamland Cafe the Sunset Cafe and the Club Berlin, performing as a drummer, singer and emcee.

At the Sunset Cafe he met and performed with Louis Armstrong who taught him to sing in the "scat" style. Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter

Success

Cab Calloway, Radio Pictorial, 1934 cover of the English radio fan and listings magazine

Cab Calloway and The Cotton Club Orchestra, 1934 photo of His High-de-Highness of Ho-de-Ho and the band

The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. (There is some speculation that Mafia pressure was responsible for Cab's hiring. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century ) Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the "co-house" band with Ellington's, and Cab and his group began touring nationwide when not playing the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre. Walter Winchell ( April 7, 1897 &ndash February 20, 1972) was an American newspaper and radio commentator Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network color barrier.

Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest. Walter 'Foots' Thomas (b1907 was a Saxophonist and Arranger in Cab Calloway 's orchestra

In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". " Minnie the Moocher " is a Jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra selling over 1 million copies That song, "St. James Infirmary Blues", and "The Old Man Of The Mountain" were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White and The Old Man of the Mountain, respectively. " St James Infirmary Blues " is an American Folksong of anonymous origin though sometimes credited to the songwriter Joe Primrose (a pseudonym Betty Boop is an animated Cartoon character appearing in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop series of films produced by Snow White is a 1933 animated short film in the Betty Boop series from Max Fleischer 's Fleischer Studios. The Old Man of the Mountain is a 1933 Animated short in the Betty Boop series produced by Fleischer Studios. Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well. Rotoscoping is an Animation technique in which Animators trace over live-action film movement frame by frame for use in Animated films Originally Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man. " He also performed in a series of short films for Paramount in the 1930s (Calloway and Ellington were featured on film more than any other Jazz Orchestra of the era). In 1943 he appeared in the high-profile 20th Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather. Stormy Weather is the title of an American musical Motion picture produced and released by 20th Century Fox in 1943

In 1941 Cab Calloway fired Dizzy Gillespie from his Orchestra after an onstage fracas erupted when Calloway was hit with spitballs. John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( October 21 1917 &ndash January 6 1993) was an American Jazz Trumpeter He wrongly accused Gillespie, who stabbed Calloway in the leg with a small knife.

In 1944, The New Cab Calloway's Hepsters Dictionary: Language of Jive was published, an update of an earlier book in which Cab set about translating jive for fans who might not know, for example, that "kicking the gong around" was a reference to smoking opium. African American Vernacular English ( AAVE) – also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular,

Later years

In the 1950s, Calloway moved his family from Long Island, NY, to Greenburgh, NY to raise the three youngest of his five daughters. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Greenburgh is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States.

In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilized both his acting and singing talents. In 1952, he played the prominent role of "Sportin' Life" in a production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess with William Warfield and Leontyne Price as the title characters. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and William Caesar Warfield ( 22 January 1920 - 26 August 2002) concert Baritone singer was born in West Helena Arkansas Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American Opera singer ( Soprano) Another notable role was "Yeller" in The Cincinnati Kid (1965), with Steve McQueen, Ann-Margret and Edward G. Robinson. The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 film It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner a young Depression -era Poker player as he seeks to Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Ann-Margret (born April 28 1941 is a Swedish -born American actress singer Edward Goldenberg Robinson Sr (born Emanuel Goldenberg; Yiddish: עמנואל גאלדנבערג December 12 1893 &ndash January

One of Cab Calloway's suits on display in Baltimore's City Hall, October 2007

In 1967 Calloway co-starred as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black revival of Hello, Dolly! (even though the original production was still running) starring Pearl Bailey. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 Pearl Mae Bailey ( March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American singer and actress This was a major success and led to a cast recording released by RCA. RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 In 1973-1974 he was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Pajama Game alongside Hal Linden and Barbara McNair. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell. Hal Linden (b March 20, 1931) is an American actor and television director

1976 saw the release of his autobiography, Of Minnie The Moocher And Me (Crowell). It included his complete Hepsters Dictionary as an appendix.

Calloway attracted renewed interest in 1980 when he appeared as a supporting character in the film The Blues Brothers, performing "Minnie The Moocher", and again when he sang "The Jumpin' Jive" with the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd " Minnie the Moocher " is a Jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra selling over 1 million copies Sesame Street is an American educational Children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard combining This was also the year cult movie Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan. Forbidden Zone is a 1982 musical Comedy film based upon the stage performances of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American Musician, who is famous for composing scores and songs for Tim Burton

Calloway helped establish the Cab Calloway Museum at Coppin State College (Baltimore, Maryland) in the 1980s and Bill Cosby helped establish a scholarship in Cab Calloway's name at the New School of Social Research New York City. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. In 1994, a creative and performing arts school Cab Calloway School of the Arts was dedicated in his name in Wilmington, Delaware. The Cab Calloway School of the Arts is an arts-oriented Magnet school in Wilmington Delaware, operated by the Red Clay Consolidated School District, that Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine

In 1986, Calloway appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s WrestleMania 2 as a guest judge for a boxing match between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. T that took place Nassau Coliseum and in 1990 made a cameo in Janet Jackson's video for "Alright". World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet, WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania Professional wrestling Pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (although Roderick George Toombs (born April 17, 1954) Career After being expelled from junior high and having a falling out with his father Piper hit the Mr T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21 1952) is an American Actor known for his roles as Sgt } The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, commonly known as Nassau Coliseum (or simply The Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale New York Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16 1966 is an American recording artist and entertainer " Alright " is the fourth single from American R&B / pop singer Janet Jackson 's fourth studio album Janet Jackson's In the United Kingdom he also appeared in several commercials for the Hula Hoops snack, both as himself and as a voice for a cartoon (in one of these commercials he sang his hit "Minnie The Moocher"). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Hula Hoops are a potato-based snack product in the shape of short hollow cylinders They were first introduced in 1973 He also made an appearance at the Apollo Theater.

Death

On November 18, 1994, Calloway died after having suffered a major stroke six months earlier. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C. "CB" Calloway Brooks)^[1] was formed to honor Cab Calloway's legacy on the national and international levels.

Selective awards and recognitions

Grammy history

Other honors

Stage appearances

• Porgy and Bess (1953)
• Hello, Dolly! (replacement in 1967)
• The Pajama Game (1973)
• Bubbling Brown Sugar (1976)
• Uptown. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "performers who during their lifetimes have made creative contributions of outstanding See also Grammy Grammy Hall of Fame Award List of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients A-D List of Grammy Hall " Minnie the Moocher " is a Jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra selling over 1 million copies The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell. . . It's Hot! (1986)

Filmography

• Minnie the Moocher (1932) (Betty Boop cartoon -- voice, rotoscoped glide dancing)
• The Big Broadcast (1932)
• Snow White (1933) (Betty Boop cartoon -- voice, rotoscoped glide dancing)
• International House (1933)
• The Old Man of the Mountain (1933) (Betty Boop cartoon -- voice, rotoscoped glide dancing)
• Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934) musical short
• Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party (1935) musical short
• The Singing Kid (1936)
• Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (cartoon using previous material)
• Stormy Weather (1943)
• Sensations of 1945 (1945)
• Hi De Ho (1947)
• St. Louis Blues (1958)
• The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• "The Cotton Club" (1984)
• Alright (1990) (Janet Jackson music video)

References

External links

• The Official Cab Calloway website
• Cab Calloway complete discography
• The Official Homepage of The Cab Calloway Orchestra, directed by Christopher Brooks
• The Hi de Ho Blog, French website dedicated to Cab, his musicians and the Swing era
• Jazz, the Rough Guide by Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather and Brian Priestly; Penguin Books, 1995; pp. " Minnie the Moocher " is a Jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra selling over 1 million copies The Big Broadcast ( 1932) is a Paramount Pictures production starring Bing Crosby, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. Snow White is a 1933 animated short film in the Betty Boop series from Max Fleischer 's Fleischer Studios. International House was a comedy film released in 1933, directed by A The Old Man of the Mountain is a 1933 Animated short in the Betty Boop series produced by Fleischer Studios. Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (also known as Hi-De-Ho) is a 1934 American musical short film Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party is a 1935 American musical short film which was released by U Betty Boop's Rise to Fame is a 1934 Fleischer Studios Animated short film starring Betty Boop. Stormy Weather is the title of an American musical Motion picture produced and released by 20th Century Fox in 1943 Sensations of 1945 is a 1944 American musical - Comedy film which was released by United Artists. Hi De Ho (also known as Hi-De-Ho) is a 1947 American musical film which was released by All American and The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 film It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner a young Depression -era Poker player as he seeks to The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd " Alright " is the fourth single from American R&B / pop singer Janet Jackson 's fourth studio album Janet Jackson's 96-97; ISBN 1-85828-137-7
• NPR's "Jazz profiles"
• Cab Calloway: 'A Hi De Ho Centennial' another program in NPR's "Jazz Profiles" series
• Cab Calloway at the Internet Movie Database
• "Cab Calloway: Original Rapper", PopMatters column (11/2005)
• 1931 German broadcast recording of a live performance in Cotton Club, New York City