Irene Armstrong Wilson Kitchings (c. 1908 - March 4, 1975) was an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist, band leader, and songwriter. She performed as both a solo act and with bands. Kitchings co-wrote the songs "Some Other Spring", "Ghost of Yesterday", and "I'm Pulling Through", all of which were recorded by

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Life and career

Irene Kitchings was born Violet Irene Armstrong in

Marietta, Ohio Marietta is a city in Washington County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in Appalachian Ohio, southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum River, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, northeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia ...

. Her birth year is either 1903 or 1908. As a child, she lived in Muncie, Indiana, with her parents and sister, Grace. She moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

at age 13 to live with an aunt. Her mother taught her to play piano as a child. By age 18, Kitchings was living in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and performing in jazz clubs as both a solo jazz pianist and a member of various bands. She sometimes used the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Irene Armstrong Edie. One band led by Kitchings included musicians

Budd Johnson Albert J. "Budd" Johnson III (December 14, 1910 – October 20, 1984) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who worked extensively with, among others, Ben Webster, Benny Goodman, Big Joe Turner, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke ...

, Walter Fuller, and Dolly Jones. Kitchings married jazz pianist

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive Swing music, swing pianist", Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic. His style was high ...

around 1931. The couple moved to New York in 1934 where Wilson joined the Benny Goodman Trio. Kitchings ceased performing after moving to New York. Kitchings met and became friends with Billie Holiday after the two women were introduced by Wilson. After Kitchings divorced Wilson, Holiday introduced her to songwriter and composer,

Arthur Herzog, Jr Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

.. Together, Herzog and Kitchings wrote "Some Other Spring", a song that was first recorded by Holiday. Two of their other songs, "Ghost of Yesterday," and "I'm Pulling Through", were also recorded by Holiday. Kitchings, who suffered from Eale's Disease, fell ill and moved to

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

to stay with an aunt. While in Cleveland, she met and married Elden Kitchings, learned to play the organ, and became active in her church.

Death and legacy

Kitchings died in 1975. Writers and historians often confuse Kitchings with Irene Higgenbotham, an African-American songwriter and pianist who also wrote songs that were performed by Billie Holiday. Jazz vocalist

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

credited Kitchings as a mentor.

References

External links

Some Other Spring, written by A. Herzog and I. Kitchings as performed by Billie Holiday
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchings, Irene African-American jazz composers American women jazz pianists 1900s births 1975 deaths American jazz pianists American jazz composers African-American pianists 20th-century African-American musicians