Melodears

The Melodears, also known as Ina Ray Hutton and Her Melodears, was an American all-female band. The band was led by singer Ina Ray Hutton and featured several musicians during its existence. The band formed in 1934, originally as a 15-member band, and was disbanded in 1939 by Hutton, who soon afterwards formed an all-male orchestra. They were the first all-girl band to be recorded when they do so for Vocalion Records in 1934 and then again for Victor Talking Machine Company.

Hutton was the bandleader and singer. When the band was first formed in 1934, she was 18 years old. She was often billed as the "Blonde Bombshell of Rhythm".

The band recruited several top female musicians from the United States and Canada. The original 1934 band consisted of trumpeters Kay Walsh, Estelle Slavin, and Elvirah Roh, trombonists Ruth McMurray and Althea Heuman, Ruth Bradley, saxophonists and clarinetists Betty Stitcht, Helen Ruth, and Audrey Hall, pianists Jerrine Hyde and Miriam Greenfield, guitarists Helen Baker, bassist Marie Lebz, and drummer Lil Singer.

Later notable band members included trumpet player Frances Klein, pianist Ruth Lowe Sandler, who played from 1934 to 1938, saxophonist Jane Cullum, guitarist Marian Gange, trumpeter Mardell "Owen" Winstead, and trombonist Alyse Wells. Mirian Stiglitz Saperstein also toured with the band as a saxophonist in the 1930s. In 1936, Ruth Lowe became the band's new pianist after the previous pianist took ill. Virginia Mayers became the drummer after Lil Singer.

In 1934 Hutton was approached by Irving Mills and vaudeville agent Alex Hyde to lead an all-girl orchestra, the Melodears. The group disbanded in 1939.

Hutton and her Melodears were one of the first all-girl bands to be filmed. They filmed several shorts for Paramount Pictures including Feminine Rhythm (1935), Accent on Girls (1936) and Swing Hutton Swing (1937). The also filmed on feature-length movie The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935).

There was an independent vocal trio, founded by Arleen Reuse in Chicago in the late 1930's. It lasted into the latter half of the 1940's, traveling around the country, especially the Midwest, and appearing on the first commercial television station in Chicago. Though it had at least one change in membership, Arleen Reuse kept things together, arranged gigs, etc. To the best of this archivist's knowledge, there was no connection between the Arleen Reuse's trio and Hutton's band, nor does he think that either group stole the name from the other. The similar names were, in all likelihood, coincidence.

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