Velma Middleton

Velma Middleton
Photo by Ralph F. Seghers
Background information
Birth name	Velma Middleton
Born	(1917-09-01)September 1, 1917 Holdenville, Oklahoma, United States
Died	February 10, 1961(1961-02-10) (aged 43) Freetown, Sierra Leone
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1930s–1961
Associated acts	Louis Armstrong

Velma Middleton (September 1, 1917 – February 10, 1961) was an American jazz vocalist and entertainer, who is best known for having sung with Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups from 1942 until her death.

Middleton was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma, and later moved with her parents to St. Louis, Missouri. She started her career as a chorus girl and dancer, and throughout her career performed acrobatic splits on stage despite being overweight. After working as a solo performer, and singing with Connie McLean's Orchestra on a tour of South America, she joined Armstrong's big band in 1942, and appeared with him in soundies.

When Armstrong's orchestra disbanded in 1947, Middleton joined his All-Stars, a smaller group. She was often used for comic relief, such as for duets with Armstrong on "That's My Desire" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside", and she did occasional features. She also recorded eight tracks as a solo singer for Dootone Records in 1948 and 1951. Although she was not widely praised for her voice, described by critic Scott Yanow as "average but reasonably pleasing and good-humored", Armstrong regarded her as an important and integral part of his show.

While touring with Armstrong in Sierra Leone, she had a stroke or heart attack in January 1961, and died the following month in hospital in Freetown. Musician Barney Bigard was critical of Armstrong and his manager Joe Glaser for refusing, after Middleton was taken ill, to arrange her transfer to a country with better health facilities.