Mildred Bailey & Her Orchestra

Mildred Bailey
Bailey in New York City, 1947
Background information
Birth name	Mildred Rinker
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 Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; 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". She had three singles that made number one on the popular charts and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1947.

She grew up on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in Idaho, where her mother was an enrolled member. The family moved to Spokane, Washington when she was 13. Her younger brothers also became musicians, with her brother Al Rinker starting to perform as a singer with Bing Crosby in Spokane, where they appeared as the Rhythm Boys. Their brother Charles Rinker became a lyricist.

Bailey was born Mildred Rinker on a farm in rural Tekoa,Washington. Her mother Josephine was an enrolled member of the Coeur d'Alene people and a devout Roman Catholic.

Mildred and her siblings grew up near De Smet, Idaho on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation. Her father played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening and taught Mildred to play and sing. Her younger brothers include Al, a vocalist and composer, and Charles, a lyricist, respectively.