Ida James (June 1, 1920 - September 1986) was an American singer and actress.
Delicate beauty Ida James was a sweet-honey voiced singer
whose singing could rival the birds. She gained popularity in the 1940s. She
was the definition of daintiness and winsomeness. In everything she did, she
always had charm and grace in appearance and style.
Ida Mae James was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The
family moved to Philadelphia where she attended a high school and started
singing at the age of 11, after tutorage from her mother. In 1932 she appeared
on the radio station WPEN on the Radio Kiddies Hour, a music program for
children. In 1935 she sang in a show in the local Starlight Gardens.
After winning a competition at the Apollo Theater in New York in 1936, she joined the jazz pianist and bandleader Earl Hines, with whom she also recorded in 1937 and 1938. That year she was briefly with John Kirby , then to become a band singer in the orchestra of Erskine Hawkins, with whose orchestra she titles such as "Knock Me a Kiss", "Jumpin 'in a Julep" and " What Do You Know about Love? ”for Bluebird Records.
After winning a competition at the Apollo Theater in New York in 1936, she joined the jazz pianist and bandleader Earl Hines, with whom she also recorded in 1937 and 1938. That year she was briefly with John Kirby , then to become a band singer in the orchestra of Erskine Hawkins, with whose orchestra she titles such as "Knock Me a Kiss", "Jumpin 'in a Julep" and " What Do You Know about Love? ”for Bluebird Records.
In the mid 1940's, Ida James gained some fame as a singer
and actress; her signature tune was the song Shoo Shoo Baby, which led to her
nicknames The Shoo Shoo Baby and The Shoo Shoo Girl. Further recordings were
made with the Count Basie Orchestra (" After You've Gone ") and Louis
Jordan. She also sang together with Nat King Cole (Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't
My Baby). In 1944 the
song Close to You, recorded with the Cole trio, was
released. During this time, cover versions of the jazz standards “On the Sunny
Side of the Street ", "Stormy Weather" and” Honeysuckle Rose
" were created in the company of the Nat-Cole trio.
In 1945 Ida James was voted one of the top 20 most
popular vocalists in the United States by a music magazine. Accompanied by the
Ellis Larkins Trio, she recorded under her own name releasing "You Must Be
Blind" and "I Won't Say I Will But I Won’t”for Decca Records in 1947.
Other titles included “Try a Little Tenderness”
and “Yesterdays”for Manor. In 1950 James recorded the song "A Rough
and Ready Man" with Freddie Washington. For Columbia she recorded The Chair Song / Shake Your Can
with the Dick Vance Orchestra in 1951. In the field of jazz she was involved in 33
recording sessions between 1937 and 1951.
She appeared in leading Black magazines and print ads of
the time as well. Ida James was always a likable presence on stage and screen.
Not too many women possessed such charm, soft, sweet beauty, class and
lady-like qualities as Ida James did. She was always a class act, irresistibly
pleasing to the eyes and to the ears.
In January 1950, James opened on Broadway in a
short-lived production, the social justice drama How Long Till Summer? As the
1950s rolled around, she turned towards rhythm and blues, recording two sides
on Columbia in 1951 and signing with the new Nickelodeon label in 1953. She
continued performing through the mid-1950s but by that time had drifted into
obscurity. By the end of the decade as work dried up, she was working as a
waitress in Harlem bars.
There was no mention of Ida again until the Pittsburgh
Courier of September 10, 1966 let us know that: "Ida James, who a decade
ago seemed headed for a big-time singing career, is hostess at Ike Williams'
Brite Spot cafe in Philadelphia.” This is the last current mention of Ida James
that was found.
Ida James died in Philadelphia sometime in September
1986, after not being in the public eye for over 20 years.
How sad, that after reaching the heights of popularity in the 1940’s for her beauty, high bird-like voice, grace, and glamour, fame eluded her. her death was unannounced and she never received an obituary from her once adoring press and today many have never even heard of her name.
How sad, that after reaching the heights of popularity in the 1940’s for her beauty, high bird-like voice, grace, and glamour, fame eluded her. her death was unannounced and she never received an obituary from her once adoring press and today many have never even heard of her name.
(Edited from Wikipedia, Bandchirps & Marv Goldberg)
