Mildred Bailey

Mildred Bailey
Bailey in New York City, 1947
Background information
Born	(1907-02-27)February 27, 1907 Tekoa, Washington, U.S.
Died	December 12, 1951(1951-12-12) (aged 44) Poughkeepsie, New York
Genres	Jazz, vocal jazz, blues
Occupation(s)	Singer
Labels	Vocalion
Associated acts	Red Norvo, Bing Crosby

Mildred Rinker Bailey (February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a popular and influential American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing". Some of her best-known hits are "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Trust in Me", "Where Are You?", "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart", "Small Fry", "Please Be Kind", "Darn That Dream", "Rockin' Chair", "Blame It on My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart".

Bailey was born Mildred Rinker in Tekoa,Washington. Her mother, Josephine, was an enrolled member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and a devout Roman Catholic. Her father, Charles, played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening after supper and taught Mildred to play and sing. Her brothers were the vocalist and composer Al Rinker and the lyricist Charles Rinker.

At seventeen, Bailey 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. With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she became an established blues and jazz singer on the West Coast. According to Gary Giddins, in his book Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 1903–1940, in 1925 she secured work for her brother, Al Rinker, and his partner, Bing Crosby. Giddins further states that Crosby first heard of Louis Armstrong and other Chicago black jazz records from Bailey's collection. Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman. She sang with Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933. According to Giddins, Whiteman had a popular radio program, and when Bailey debuted with her version of "Moanin' Low" in 1929, public reaction was immediate, although she did not start recording with Whiteman until late 1931.