Media Billie Holiday + Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday had a hit record with the song 鈥淪trange Fruit鈥 in the 1930s, bringing light to the horror of lynching in the American South.
Cab Calloway Jazz Vocalist, Bandleader
-
Born
December 25, 1907
-
Died
November 18, 1994
-
Country
United States of America
A premier Black entertainer of the Harlem Renaissance, Cabell (“Cab”) Calloway’s impressive singing ability and showmanship won him steady gigs at the famous Cotton Club.
Calloway’s lasting influence on popular music stems from his minting and mastery of scat-jive vocals.
His signature style was to improvise nonsensical but incredibly inventive lyrics on the spot, often incorporating snippets of Harlem slang in his monologues and songs.
Some of Calloway’s most popular songs referenced the nitty-gritty of Harlem nightlife and its more fervent characters, such as “Minnie the Moocher” in his 1931 smash hit. In this innovative song, Calloway used a call-and-response technique to bat the phrase “Hi-de-ho” back and forth between the stage and audience.
 |
The Music of
|
Calloway didn’t find acclaim in nightclubs alone. His talent also sparkled in theaters and on the silver screen. In 1929, when Calloway landed a role in Connie’s Hot Chocolates—a musical revue created by the team of Fats Waller and Andy Razaf—he found himself sharing the stage with a young trumpeter named Louis Armstrong. In 1937, he appeared in the revue Manhattan Merry-Go Round with the beloved dance group Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.
Hi-De-Ho, Paramount Pictures, 1934. One of several musical numbers in the movie, “Dawn Time,” is staged in Cab’s apartment as part of an audition for a club owner.
Audiences nationwide would soon witness Calloway’s talents when he toured in George Gershwin’s acclaimed musical Porgy and Bess, playing a fictional character named “Sportin’ Life,” who is thought to have been based on Cab Calloway himself.
 I n t e r s e c t i o n s |
|
 |
He played at Savoy Ballroom’s battle of the bands. |
 |
Calloway and the Missourians played at the Cotton Club for 10 years. |
 |
He worked in the musical Hot Chocolates at Connie’s Inn. |
 |
Calloway often played with Bill Robinson. |
 |
He sang music by Fats Waller in Hot Chocolates. |
 |
|
Video Bio
Video Bio
“Jumpin’ Jive” performed by Cab Calloway & Nicholas Brothers in 1943.
Related Resources
Media Jason Moran: In the Studio
Learn the basics of jazz music and how the art form works. Along with his band, Jason Moran shows you how jazz is more like skateboarding and football than you would think, as well as plays original and classic jazz standards.
Media Swing! Swing! Swing!
This series, hosted by Connaitre Miller of Howard University, explores why Swing was the most popular dance music in America and how it is still alive today in dance halls, clubs and movies
Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
Connect with us!
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Capital One; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Exelon; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Little Kids Rock; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation;
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; UnitedHealth Group; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Dennis & Phyllis Washington; and Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
Social perspectives and language used to describe diverse cultures, identities, experiences, and historical context or significance may have changed since this resource was produced. Kennedy Center Education is committed to reviewing and updating our content to address these changes. If you have specific feedback, recommendations, or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].