Arizona Dranes born 4 May 1891

Juanita "Arizona" Dranes (May 4, 1891* – July 27, 1963) was an American blind female gospel singer and pianist. Dranes was one of the first gospel artists to bring the musical styles of Holiness churches' religious music to the public in her records for Okeh Records and performances in the 1920s. She was also one of the first professional woman gospel singers. Her distinctive, nasal vocal style and piano playing that incorporated boogie and ragtime, influenced later gospel artists. 

Juanita Arizona Dranes was one of the earliest gospel performers to bring sanctified music to a wide audience, both through her recordings for Okeh, and through her performances during the 1920's. There is some doubt concerning the accuracy of her birth surname, Drane, Drain or even Doran have been suggested as her actual name. Nevertheless she was recorded as Dranes and she has been credited for introducing musical accompaniment to gospel singing, it having previously been considered that singing a cappella was more appropriate to sanctified music. Dranes accompanied herself on piano playing in popular ragtime and barrelhouse styles. 

She was born in Sherman, Texas in 1891, of both African-American and Mexican descent, although some doubt has been cast recently on her possible Mexican heritage. Born blind, she attended the Texas Institute for Deaf, Dumb and Blind Colored Youth in Austin, Texas, from 1897 to 1912. She learned to play piano in her early teens. After leaving the institute, she moved backed to Sherman where she lived for several years. Around 1922 she moved first to the Dallas area and then on to Wichita Falls, where she began playing the piano for The Church of God in Christ. 

                                   

She soon became a favored singer-pianist of the founder, Bishop Charles Mason and was well utilized in the COGIC circles. She incorporated a syncopated, ragtime style in her gospel accompaniment and soon established the songs "I Shall Wear A Crown," "My Soul's a Witness for the Lord," and "Lamb's Blood Has Washed Me Clean" as COGIC standards. A local minister suggested to Okeh talent scout Richard M. Jones that she be given a recording test. This eventually led to Okeh sending their very successful artist Sara Martin  to Texas to help the blind Dranes make the journey to Chicago for her recording test in June 1926. It was so successful that the six records resulting from it were all issued. Arizona Dranes was used to working with a chorus, and on two titles Sara Martin helped to fulfil this role. The last two sides she recorded that day were virtually sanctified barrelhouse piano solos, practically unique in the 1920s. 

Dranes returned to Chicago later in 1926 and this time she was supported by the Rev. Ford Washington McGee and His Jubilee Choir. Rev. McGee himself went on to become a popular recording artist for Victor and he had Dranes to thank for this. Dranes last recordings in her own right were made in July 1928 when she led a chorus of her own on six sides, two of which were not issued. The Great Depression had dried up demand for the style of raw, energetic performance Dranes specialized in, ending her recording career. 

At some point after this she moved to Chicago, and there, and on tour, she remained a very popular artist amongst gospel circles. She was known to still be performing in Cleveland in 1947 but this is last known reference to her. She is believed to have died in Los Angeles on July 27, 1963. Although virtually unknown to the today's music public, the gospel style she pioneered continued to influence gospel music and later gospel artists such as Roberta Martin, Clara Ward and Sister Rosetta Tharpe were heavily influenced by both her piano playing and singing style.

(Edited from the Blues Trail & Wikipedia) (* other sources give birth date as 1889)