Dodo Greene, (born Dorthea Hawkins; January 18, 1924 - July 21, 2006) was an American jazz vocalist who performed in clubs and venues in Buffalo, and along the East Coast and Chicago, before releasing two albums in the 1960s, and touring internationally.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Greene was exposed to music through family gatherings and local events, where the rhythmic sounds of jazz and rhythm and blues permeated neighborhood life. She began singing at age 7 or 8 when she was chosen for recurrent appearances on the Buster Brown Shoes Amateur Hour radio program, where she frequently won prizes including shoes for her family. She continued to sing throughout her teens, although she was planning a career in medicine. Her first big break arrived when she filled in for a sick vocalist in Cozy Cole's band. He asked her to join his group, but she refused. Eventually, she decided to pursue a career in music and began singing regularly at venues along the East Coast, as well as Chicago.
She got her first big singing job at the Club Moon-Glow, a nightclub at Michigan and William Street. She also sang at other local clubs on the east side of Buffalo and the Cold Springs district, including The Musician's Club, The Buffalo Club, the Pine Grill, Mandy's and the Little Harlem.Slowly, she built up a following among audiences and fellow vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington, and was able to play venues in London and Germany. In 1959 she moved to New York City to perform with Cab Calloway's revue at the Winter Garden Theatre. She became known at that time as the "buxom blues singer". It was also about this time that she perfected a Louie Armstrong imitation, including his trademark throaty growl and hanky and adopted her trademark bleached blonde hairstyle.
Dodo Greene's debut studio album, Ain't What You Do, was released in 1960 by Time Records, marking her entry into professional recording. Recorded in New York City in January 1959, the album features Greene's warm, R&B-inflected vocals backed by a robust ensemble including trumpeter Burt Collins, trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Ray Bryant, and drummer Frank Dunlop on select tracks. Spanning 12 songs, it draws on jazz and pop standards with themes of romance and melancholy, highlighted by interpretations of "Manhattan," "Black Coffee," and "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home."
Greene's sophomore effort, My Hour of Need, issued in 1962 by Blue Note Records, stands as her most prominent release and the label's first album featuring a female vocalist under exclusive contract. Produced by Blue Note co-founder Alfred Lion and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, the sessions occurred across multiple dates in 1962 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, involving luminaries like tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec, guitarist Grant Green, organist Sir Charles Thompson, and drummers Billy Higgins and Al Harewood. The album's 12 tracks predominantly cover blues-tinged standards and ballads evoking emotional vulnerability and resilience.
While My Hour of Need achieved modest commercial traction through associated singles like "You Are My Sunshine" b/w "Little Things Mean a Lot," it did not yield major chart success, reflecting Blue Note's primary focus on instrumental jazz during the era. Unreleased outtakes from September and November 1962 sessions, featuring additional collaborators like Dionne Warwick on tambourine, were later compiled on a 1996 CD reissue by Blue Note, expanding the album to 20 tracks.
Greene faded away from the spotlight in the years following the release of her lone Blue Note album. There is no apparent record of her recording again. In 1997 Ms. Greene was honored in Buffalo's Hall of Fame, along with music great Harold Arlen. She was a woman of great talent, boundless energy and an indomitable spirit who continued to "wow" her audiences mostly at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, right up until her death in her home on July 21, 2006 after a long illness.
(Edited from AllMusic, Grokipedia & Michigan Street Buffalo)
