Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Native American

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 ...

singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady", and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs " For Sentimental Reasons", "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Doin' The Uptown Lowdown", " Trust in Me", " Where Are You?", "

I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" is a 1938 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics added by Irving Mills, Henry Nemo and John Redmond. The song became a number one hit for Ellington in 1938. Other hit versions the same year were by Benny Goo ...

", "

Small Fry Small Fry may refer to: *Small fry (fish), a recently hatched fish * "Small Fry" (short story), 1885 Anton Chekhov story * "Small Fry" (song), a song written in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser * ''Small Fry'' (album), 1941 Bing Crosby a ...

", " Please Be Kind", "

Darn That Dream "Darn That Dream" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie DeLange. It was published in 1939 and ranked No. 1 in 1940 when a recording was released by Benny Goodman in an arrangement by Eddie Sauter with Mildred Bailey ...

", " Rockin' Chair", "Blame It on My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart". She had three records that reached number one on the popular charts. Bailey grew up on the

Coeur d'Alene Reservation The Coeur d'Alene Reservation is a Native American reservation in northwestern Idaho, United States. It is home to the federally recognized Coeur d'Alene, one of the five federally recognized tribes in the state. It is located in parts of Bene ...

in Idaho, where her mother was an enrolled citizen. The family moved to

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, when she was 13. Her younger brothers also became musicians. Her brother,

Al Rinker Alton Markwood "Al" Rinker (December 20, 1907 – June 11, 1982) was an American musician who began his career as a teen performing with Bing Crosby in the early 1920s in Spokane, Washington. In 1925 the pair moved to Los Angeles, eventually for ...

, started to perform as a singer with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

in Spokane and became a member of

The Rhythm Boys The Rhythm Boys were an American male singing trio consisting of Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker. Crosby and Rinker began performing together in 1925 and were recruited by Paul Whiteman in late 1926. Pianist/singer/songwriter Barris join ...

. As adults, Charles Rinker was a lyricist, and Miles Rinker was a clarinet and saxophone player who later became a booking agent.

Early life

Bailey was born Mildred Rinker on a farm in rural Tekoa, Washington. Her mother Josephine was a citizen of the

Coeur d'Alene Tribe The Coeur d'Alene Tribe ( ; also Skitswish; ) are a Native American tribe and one of five federally recognized tribes in the state of Idaho. The Coeur d'Alene have sovereign control of their Coeur d'Alene Reservation, which includes a significa ...

Miller, John. (Associated Press
"Idaho tribe: 'Mrs. Swing' was Indian."
, ''The Wenatchee World''; retrieved March 27, 2012. and a devout

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. Bailey's great-grandfather, Bazil Peone, was a head speaker and song leader of the Coeur d'Alene at the turn of the 20th century. His ability to create indigenized Catholic hymns helped guide the tribe during difficult times of active colonization by Jesuit missionaries. Bailey and her siblings grew up near De Smet, Idaho, on the

. Her father played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening and taught her to play and sing. Her younger brothers included Miles, Al, a vocalist and composer, and

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

, a lyricist. The family often hosted Saturday night gatherings, creating small music and dance hall in the home for local ranchers with both Josephine and Mildred at the piano. Mildred also accompanied her mother to traditional native ceremonies, where she heard and practiced the traditional songs and lyrics that would later influence her unique singing voice. Josephine died from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

at the age of 36, threatening Mildred's ability to remain connected to her native family and traditions in a way that she was able to while her mother was alive. Soon after Josephine's death, Mildred's father remarried, bringing a daughter and creating a tumultuous and unhappy house from which Mildred and her siblings were systematically pushed out by her new stepmother. Given an ultimatum to choose his own children or his new wife, Mildred's father sided with his wife and Mildred moved out of the home and in with her aunt and uncle in Seattle. She and her aunt were involved in a serious car accident a short time later which killed her aunt and left Mildred with serious physical and emotional scars.

Music career

At age 17, Rinker moved to Seattle and worked as a sheet music demonstrator at

Woolworth's Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses Australia and New Zealand * Woolworths Group (Australia), the largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand; named after the American F.W. Woolworth company, but unrelated * W ...

. She married and divorced Ted Bailey, keeping his last name because she thought it sounded more American than Rinker, which was of Swiss (German) origin. She toured with a West Coast revue and finished in California where she obtained work at radio station KMTR and at a speakeasy in Bakersfield called The Swede's. With the help of her second husband Benny Stafford, Bailey became an established

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

and jazz singer on the west coast of the United States. According to

Gary Giddins Gary Giddins (born 1948) is an American jazz critic and author. He wrote for ''The Village Voice'' from 1973; his "Weather Bird" column ended in 2003. In 1986, Gary Giddins and John Lewis created the American Jazz Orchestra which presented conc ...

in his book ''Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams, The Early Years 1903–1940'', she found work for her brother

and

, who had started performing in Spokane, Washington. They had traveled from Spokane to join her in Los Angeles. Giddins says Crosby heard about

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

from Bailey, who urged him to hear Armstrong if Crosby was to be a serious jazz singer. She also played Crosby records from her collection by

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...

and

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...

. Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

in Los Angeles. She sang with Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933. Whiteman had a radio program for Old Gold Cigarettes, and when Bailey debuted on it with her version of "

Moanin' Low Moanin' Low is a popular torch song. The music was written by Ralph Rainger; the lyrics by Howard Dietz. The song was published in 1929 and was introduced that same year in the musical revue ''The Little Show'' by Libby Holman becoming a hit and Ho ...

" on August 6, 1929, favorable public reaction was immediate. However, Bailey's first recording with Whiteman did not take place until October 6, 1931, when she recorded a song called "My Goodbye to You". Her recording of " All of Me" with Whiteman the same year was a hit in 1932. Her first two records had been as an uncredited vocalist for a 1929 session by the

Eddie Lang Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro; October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American musician who is credited as the father of jazz guitar. During the 1920s, he gave the guitar a prominence it previously lacked as a solo instrument, as p ...

Orchestra ("What Kind o' Man Is You?", a

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

song that was issued only in the UK), and a recording on May 8, 1930, of "I Like to Do Things for You" for

Frankie Trumbauer Orie Frank Trumbauer (May 30, 1901 – June 11, 1956) was an American jazz saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. His main instrument was the C melody saxophone, a now-uncommon instrument between an alto and tenor saxophone in size and pitch. He al ...

. She was Whiteman's female vocalist through 1932 (recording in a smooth, crooning style) but left the band later that same year over salary disagreements. She recorded four sides for Brunswick in 1931 with the

Casa Loma Orchestra The Casa Loma Orchestra was an American dance band active from 1929 to 1963. Until the rapid multiplication in the number of swing bands from 1935 on, the Casa Loma Orchestra was one of the top North American dance bands. With the decline of the ...

. and there were further recordings for the label in 1933 with the

Dorsey Brothers The Dorsey Brothers were an American studio dance band, led by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording in 1928 for OKeh Records. History The Dorsey Brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels (Banner, Cameo, Domino, Jewel, Oriole ...

as supporting musicians. Bailey was part of an all-star session with

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

's studio band in 1934 featuring

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

Dick McDonough Richard Tobin McDonough (July 30, 1904 – May 25, 1938) was an American jazz guitarist and banjoist. Perhaps best remembered for his duets with fellow guitarist Carl Kress, McDonough appeared on numerous record sessions and radio broadcasts thr ...

, and

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...

. After leaving Whiteman, Bailey sang on the radio shows of George Jessel and

Willard Robison Willard Robison (September 18, 1894 – June 24, 1968) was an American vocalist, pianist, and composer of popular songs, born in Shelbina, Missouri. His songs reflect a rural, melancholy theme steeped in Americana and their warm style has ...

. In 1933, Bailey married

Red Norvo Red Norvo (born Kenneth Norville; March 31, 1908 – April 6, 1999) was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His recor ...

, a xylophonist, improviser, and band leader who had also worked with Paul Whiteman. A dynamic couple, they remained married until 1942 and were known as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing". They worked much of the time in New York City. They remained friends after their divorce. She worked as a solo act, singing in clubs in New York, such as the

Café Society Café society was the description of the "Beautiful People" and " Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafés and restaurants in New York, Paris and London beginning in the late 19th century. Maury Henry Biddle Paul is credited wi ...

and the Blue Angel. From September 1944, Bailey's radio show began on CBS and continued until February 1945. Her last major engagement was with Joe Marsala in Chicago in 1950. From 1936 to 1939, Norvo recorded for Brunswick (with Bailey as primary vocalist), and Bailey recorded for

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pian ...

, often with Norvo's band. Some of her other recordings featured members of

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

's band. The two performers continued to record together intermittently until 1945. Bailey was featured on Benny Goodman's ''

Camel Caravan A camel train, caravan, or camel string is a series of camels carrying passengers and goods on a regular or semi-regular service between points. Despite rarely travelling faster than human walking speed, for centuries camels' ability to withst ...

'' radio program and sang on a number of Goodman's Columbia recordings in 1939 and 1940, including her version of "Darn That Dream" which was a hit in 1940. Bailey suffered from

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

. Due to her health, she was hospitalized in 1938, 1943, and 1949. She went into retirement for a time in 1949 on a farm she owned in Poughkeepsie, New York. Often in financial difficulties, she was bailed out several times by Bing Crosby. Bailey died of heart failure on December 12, 1951 in St. Francis Hospital in

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Town of Poughkeepsie, New York (state), New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie i ...

at the age of 44.

Awards and honors

* In 1989, Bailey was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. * ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' describes Bailey as "the first white singer to absorb and master the jazz-flavored phrasing...of her black contemporaries." However, this designation fails to recognize Bailey's full heritage, as her mother was "a Coeur d’Alene tribal member," and "her father of Swiss-Irish stock." * In 1994, a 29-cent stamp was issued by the US Postal Service in Bailey's honor;"Mildred Bailey"
''Women on Stamps'', Publication 512, United States Postal Service, 2003 it was designed by Howard Koslow, based on the photograph by jazz photographer

William Gottlieb William Paul Gottlieb (January 28, 1917 – April 23, 2006) was an American photographer and newspaper columnist who is best known for his classic photographs of the high performers of the Golden Age of American jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. Gottl ...

(at the head of this article) of Bailey performing at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

. * In 2012, the Coeur d'Alene Nation introduced a resolution honoring Bailey to the Idaho state legislature. They were seeking acknowledgement of the singer's Coeur d'Alene ancestry as well as to promote her induction to the

Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) in October 2004. The organization seeks to “represent th ...

Hall of Fame in New York City.

Number one hits

In 1938, Bailey had two number one hits with Red Norvo and His Orchestra. "Please Be Kind" reached number one on the Hit Parade chart on May 7. She also sang lead vocals with Norvo on "Says My Heart", which reached number one during the week of June 18, 1938. Bailey sang lead vocals on "

", recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, which reached number one for one week in March 1940 on the U.S. pop chart.

Discography

* ''Sweet Beginnings'' (The Old Masters, 1994) * ''Band Vocalist'' (The Old Masters, 1994) * ''The Rockin' Chair Lady'' (GRP, 1994) * ''The Blue Angel Years'' (Baldwin Street Music, 1999) * ''Me and the Blues'' (Savoy, 2000) * ''The Legendary V-Disc Sessions'' (Vintage Jazz, 1990) * ''The Complete Columbia Recordings of Mildred Bailey'' (Mosaic, 2000)

Hit singles

(

releases only)

Other notable recordings

* "

Georgia on My Mind "Georgia on My Mind" is a 1930 song written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, and first recorded that same year by Carmichael at the RCA Studios New York#24th St, RCA Victor Studios at 155 East 24th Street in New York City. The song has ...

" (1931) * "

I'll Never Be the Same "I'll Never Be The Same" is a popular song based on an instrumental called "Little Buttercup" written by Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli. After several musicians had recorded the instrumental version, lyrics were written by Gus Kahn. The com ...

" (1932) * "

Lazy Bones ''Lazy Bones'' was originally a comic strip in the British comic '' Whizzer and Chips''. It made its first appearance in 1978. The strip was about a boy called Benny Bones, who would constantly fall asleep everywhere, much to the annoyance of ...

" (1933) * "

Heat Wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

" (1933) * "Ol' Pappy" (1934) * "Miss Brown to you" (Sideman Teddy Wilson) (1935) * "I'd Love to Take Orders from You" (1935) * " Someday, Sweetheart" (1935) * "When Day Is Done" (1935) * " Honeysuckle Rose" (1935) * " Squeeze Me" (1935) * " A Porter%27s Love Song to a Chambermaid" (1936) * "'Long About Midnight" (1936) * "It Can Happen to You" (1936) * "

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular song copyrighted in 1937 by its composer, Irving Berlin, and first recorded by (i) Ray Noble (January 5, 1937), Howard Barrie, vocalist; (ii) Red Norvo (January 8, 1937), Mildred Bailey, vocalist; (i ...

" (1937) * " Slumming on Park Avenue" (1937) * "Worried Over You" (1937) * "

Love Is Here to Stay "Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the movie ''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938). History "Love Is Here to Stay" was first performed by Kenny Baker in ''The Goldw ...

" (1938) * " Please Be Kind" (1938) * "Weekend of a Private Secretary" (1938) * "Says My Heart" (1938) * "Garden of the Moon" (1938) * "Have You Forgotten So Soon?" (1938) * "Born to Swing" (1938) * "I Go for That" (1939) * "Love's a Necessary Thing" (1939) * "

I'm Glad There Is You "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People)" is a song written by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira (sometimes credited as Paul Mertz) first published in 1941. It has become a jazz and pop standard. Original recording The song was rele ...

" (1939) * "

I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" is a 1932 song recorded by Bing Crosby with Orchestral Accompaniment. The music was composed by Victor Young, with lyrics written by Ned Washington and Bing Crosby. The song is a jazz and pop standard ...

" (1939) * "

The Lamp Is Low "The Lamp Is Low" is a popular song from the 1930s. The music was written by composers Peter DeRose and Bert Shefter, adapted from ''Pavane pour une infante défunte'', a composition by Maurice Ravel. The lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. ...

" (1939) * "

I Thought About You "I Thought About You" is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Background It was one of three collaborations Van Heusen and Mercer wrote for the Mercer-Morris publishing company started by Mercer and form ...

" (1939) * "Bluebirds in the Moonlight" (1939) * "

" (1939) * " Don't Take Your Love from Me" (1940) * "It's So Peaceful in the Country" (1940) * "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam) (1940) * "In Love in Vain" (1946) * "It's a Woman's Prerogative" (1946) * "

Almost Like Being in Love "Almost Like Being in Love" is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical '' Brigadoon''. The song was first sung by David Brooks and Marion Bell, in the Broadway ...

" (1947) The 2023 American historical drama miniseries " Lessons in Chemistry" used Bailey's 1940 recording of "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)" as its opening theme song.

References

External links

Mildred Bailey on encyclopedia.com

Early life

Music career

Awards and honors

Number one hits

Discography

Hit singles

Other notable recordings

References

External links

Further reading