Tuesday 29 October 2013

Hadda Brooks born 29 October 1916


Hadda Brooks (October 29*, 1916 - November 21, 2002), was a noted American pianist, vocalist and composer. She was hailed as the “Queen Of The Boogie” and “Empress Of The Torch Blues.” (*other sources October 21)

Ms. Brooks was born Hadda Riah Hopgood in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles. Her father was a law enforcement officer and her mother a physician. At the age of 4, she begged her father for piano lessons and, when told by her prospective teacher that she couldn't begin until her hands were big enough to span an octave, stretched her fingers over the keyboard for a week until she could do it. She remained with that teacher for 20 years, also studying at the Vocational Polytechnic High School, the University of Southern California and Northwestern University.

Hadda got her professional start in Willie Covan's dance studio in Los Angeles, accompanying the likes of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Shirley Temple on the piano.


In 1941, she met her husband Harlem Globetrotter basketball player Shug Morrison who died of pneumonia a year later at the age of 21. She frequented the blues clubs on Central Avenue and met Billie Holiday in a bathroom when Holiday opened the door of Ms. Brooks' stall and offered her a hit on her marijuana cigarette. The two became fast friends. One day when Ms. Brooks was shopping at a downtown music store, fiddling with the store's piano, she so impressed jukebox repairman Jules Bihari that he offered to record her.

 


She made her first record, "Swingin' the Boogie," in 1945, and it was a hit. Bihari started a label, Modern Records, and Ms. Brooks became his first artist. Encouraged by orchestra leader Charlie Barnet, Ms. Brooks practiced singing "You Won't Let Me Go," and the song became her first vocal recording in 1947. A torch singer was born. On the recommendation of Benny Goodman, Ms.

Brooks turned her attention to film, beating out Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn for a role singing to Humphrey Bogart in "In a Lonely Place."

Throughout her life she appeared on the big screen, most recently in "The Thirteenth Floor" in 1999 and "John John in the Sky" in 2000. Other highlights of her life included singing at Hawaii's official statehood ceremony in 1959 and being asked for a private audience with Pope Pius XII. Ms. Brooks finally conceded to rock-'n'-roll and retired in 1971. Sixteen years later, after being profiled in the book "Whatever Became of . . .?", Ms. Brooks came out of retirement and played a new club in Los Angeles and that led to long runs at the Bel-Air Hotel and San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel. And she was asked to record again.

In 1993, Ms. Brooks was presented with the Prestigious Pioneer Award by Bonnie Raitt on behalf of the Smithsonian-based Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

Ms. Brooks once called San Francisco "a city that's always been good to me" and spent several of her last birthdays performing here.

Hadda Brooks died November 21, 2002 at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, following open-heart surgery at age 86.

Called an "American Treasure" by Bonnie Raitt, Ms. Brooks was an enchanting and sultry torch singer, an original "Jazz Diva", that will be sadly missed by her many admirers worldwide. (info mainly from San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Nov 2002)



4 comments:

boppinbob said...

For The Best Of Hadda Brooks – Swingin' The Boogie go here:

http://rapidgator.net/file/76508171/GgvsE0k_-_hbstbtbo.rar.html

1. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
2. Swingin' The Boogie
3. Out Of The Blue
4. Don't Take Your Love From Me
5. Bully Wully Boogie
6. It All Depends On You
7. Dream
8. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
9. When A Woman Cries
10. I Feel So Good
11. Boogie Celeste
12. Jump Back, Honey
13. Tootsie Timesie
14. Schubert's Serenade In Boogie
15. That's My Desire
16. Romance In The Dark
17. Bewildered
18. Tough On My Heart
19. Honey, Honey, Honey
20. Keep Your Hand On Your Heart
21. Trust In Me
22. Don't Call It Love
23. Jukebox Boogie
24. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 In Boogie
25. Say It With A Kiss
26. Don't You Think I Ought To Know
27. You Won't Let Me Go
28. Old Man River
29. Boogie At The Band Box
30. White Christmas
31. Blues In B-Flat

D said...

Hi Bob,
When you get a chance, please re-post this Hadda Brooks comp.
Thanks again,
Denis

boppinbob said...

Hello Denis, Sorry but I could not find the album. In my download notes I saw that it was a digital download from Spotify. Not to be outdone I managed to find all the titles mainly from another digital download at Amazon plus some from a few CD’s. I’ve added two covers one being the original artwork the second being “That’s My Desire” which is a re-package of the “Best Of” less five tracks. As you probably know by now there is no back covers with digital downloads.

So for The Best Of Hadda Brooks – Swingin' The Boogie (reconstructed) go here:

https://mega.nz/file/tyQHyYJC#A6l0BuJ45kay2mRSrSeEZGeFIfDIu6iuLScHKjuiKdg

D said...

more than perfect.....as usual
thanks BB, enjoy your Sunday