Julia Lee (musician)

Julia Lee (born 31 October 1902 in Boonville (Missouri ), † December 8, 1958 in San Diego ) was an American jazz and blues musician ( pianist and singer ). It is considered the most well-known jazz, blues and rhythm and blues pianist and singer from Kansas City.

Life and work

Lee grew up in Kansas City and had made ​​as a child with a stringed instrument trio of her father and events of her church, but also to house parties music. Her brother was the band leader George E. Lee. As a pianist and singer working full it was in 1917, first in the ragtime style as a cinema pianist who accompanied silent films, but also in the clubs along 12th Street. There she was known by the presentation of Blue numbers with ambiguous texts.

Then she played since the establishment as a pianist in the orchestra of her brother George E. Lee, a so-called Territory band in the region, which was founded in 1920 and made McKinney 's Cotton Pickers competition, but was also regarded as the strongest competitor of the orchestra of Bennie Moten Orchestra. In the 20s seems Lee's band, not least thanks to his and his sister song with comical lyrics in Kansas City and known to have been more attractive. Mary Lou Williams remembers Julia Lee but also as an addition to Margaret Johnson 's most important pianist of the city. Julia worked for 15 years in the orchestra of her brother before - after first recordings for the label Merritt (1927 ) - 1935 her solo career took off.

In 1944 she was admitted series of Capitol Records under the " History of Jazz"; they now sang the bands of Jay McShann and Tommy Douglas. Later she appeared primarily in a small occupation as Julia Lee and her Boy Friends. The Boyfriends included musicians such as Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, Ernie Royal, Red Norvo, Red Nichols, Nappy Lamare and Tommy Douglas. Having a real hit in the jukeboxes and the radio had with " Come On Over To My House Baby" can land, she received in 1946 a permanent contract. In 1947, she was with " Snatch It And grave It" for twelve weeks at No. 1 on the rhythm and blues charts. The plate had a considerable time half a million shoppers found. More hits followed. Two years later she held for nine weeks in first place of the charts with " King Size Papa ". 1949 Julia Lee played at the invitation of coming from Missouri, U.S. President Harry S. Truman at the White House. In the 1950s, they continued to produce, but was only moderately successful. A year before her death, she played a small role in Robert Altman's Kansas City turned movie "The Delinquence ".

Lee is with their music for an early transition from the Kansas City jazz to rhythm and blues. According to a list of U.S. music magazine Billboard she was ranked 12 of the most successful in the period 1942-1949 in terms of record sales Rhythm & Blues artist - and thus before Dinah Washington, Billy Eckstine, Wynonie Harris, Charles Brown and Roy Milton.