Search results
Helen Humes (June 23, 1913 – September 9, 1981) was an American singer. Humes was a teenage blues singer, a vocalist with Count Basie's band, a saucy R&B diva, and a mature interpreter of the classic popular song.
US jazz and blues singer. First recordings 1927. Replaced Billie Holiday as lead vocalist w. Count Basie's Orchestra in 1938. Solo artist 1940's to 1960's before withdrawing from music for several years. Comeback in 1973 at the Newport Jazz Festival and remained musically active until her death.
In 1945, she recorded her biggest commercial hit, “Be-Baba-Leba.” When she’d saved enough money, she bought her parents a building for them to work out of. According to many critics, Humes’s voice was versatile, covering jazz classics and ballads as well as the blues.
People also ask
Was Helen Humes a good singer?
How old was Helen Humes when he died?
Did Helen Humes collaborate with Red Norvo?
Sep 14, 1981 · Helen Humes, whose high-pitched, sweet-toned voice was heard with Count Basie's orchestra for four years and who subsequently had a long career as a singer of both ballads and blues, died...
Helen Humes was a fantastic Blues singer who made some very early recordings as a solo artist, became famous as the voice of the Count Basie Orchestra, toured Europe with the American Blues Festivals and made a formidable comeback after a ten year retirement.
On June 23, 1909, in Louisville, Kentucky, a rising star was born: the mysterious, elegant, and multi-talented Helen Humes. Humes was raised loving music, and starting at age 17, she began a wildly successful career singing jazz and blues. She worked with many noteable musicians and groups, including the Count Basie Orchestra and Norman Granz ...
Blues shouter, pop singer, ballad interpreter — in a career touching five decades, Helen Humes defied categorization. From her earliest recording as a tender teenager through stints with such jazz institutions as the Count Basie band, the Red Norvo Trio and Jazz at the Philharmonic, Humes displayed a virtuosity and consistency rare in any endeavor.
