Teddy Grace
| Teddy Grace | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Stella Gloria Crowson June 26, 1905 Arcadia, Louisiana |
| Died |
January 4, 1992, age 86 La Mirada, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Stella Maple |
| Occupation | Singer |
Teddy Grace (Born Stella Gloria Crowson,[1] June 26, 1905, Arcadia, Louisiana – January 4, 1992, La Mirada, California)[2] was an American female jazz singer.
Big bands
Grace first sang professionally in 1931. She sang on radio in the American South and worked with the bands of Bob Crosby, Paul Whiteman,[3] Al Katz (1933), Tommy Christian (1934), and Mal Hallett (1934–37).[4]
Recording
From 1937 to 1940, Grace recorded for Decca Records, and her sidemen on these recordings included Bobby Hackett, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Pee Wee Russell, Bob Crosby and His Orchestra, and Bud Freeman.
Military service
She left the music industry in 1940 and joined the Women's Army Corps a short time later, where she sang at war bond rallies and other political events. She lost her voice as a result of these activities. She was unable to speak for years and was never again able to sing.
Twenty two of the 30 sides she recorded for Decca were reissued on CD by Timeless Records in 1996.
Footnotes
- ↑ 'Teddy Grace Once lost, now found' by Derek Jenkins, 2007 elviscostello.info
- ↑ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed July 2010
- ↑ "WAAC Who Worked With Big-Name Bands to Be Here". Texas, Paris. The Paris News. June 25, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved March 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "On Nearby Curtains". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1934. p. 32. Retrieved February 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
References
- Derek Jenkins, (2007) "Teddy Grace Once lost, now found." The Oxford American Issue 58 Ninth Annual Southern Music Issue
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