Cab Calloway

From Harlem Renaissance

Cab Calloway, a band leader, an actor, a scat singer, and a dancer, including catch phrases such as "hi-de-ho." His biggest songs were "Jumping Jive," and "Blues in the Night."

Cab Calloway

1 Cab's Beginning
2 His Band
3 His Career
- 3.1 His Music
- 3.2 His Shows
4 His Home Life
5 His Older Days
6 Vocabulary Words
7 References

Cab's Beginning

Cab Calloway was a major musician in the Harlem Renaissance. Born on December 25 of 1907, in the town of Rochester, New York, Cabell Calloway grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher. His father, Cabell Calloway the second, was a lawyer. As a boy, he sang in a church choir. In 1927, he dropped out of law school and joined a touring show, called Plantation days. He started performing in Broadway shows, including Blackbirds of 1928, singing the song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." In 1929, he joined his first band, called the Alabamians, which lasted until 1930.

His Band

Connie's Inn

His first own backing band was the Calloway Band, including star saxophonists Chu Berry and Ben Webster, and star trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. They were the highest paid black orchestra in the segregated 1930s through the 1940s. He played regularly in the Cotton Club, and eventually replaced Duke Ellington. Another club that Cab Calloway played at was called "Connie's Inn." Run by brothers Connie and Gorge Immerman. Connie's Inn was owned by crime figure Dutch Schultz. Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, and other famous musicians performed here. Along with musicians, famous actor Mae West performed here. Eventually, Cab's band broke up, when Cab accused Dizzy of firing a spitball on stage. Afterwards, Dizzy came at him with a knife, and that was that.

His Career

Cab Calloway By: David Immerman

His Music

Cab Calloway was, along with a talented singer, and excellent scatter. His styles of Jazz were, mainly Big Band, but he also did some Swing. His main albums were: Cab Calloway '45, Stormy Weather, Featuring Chu Berry, Stands in for the Moon, Blues Make Me Happy, Hi-De-Hi Hi-De-Ho (listen to some here), The Cotton Club Revue of Cab Calloway, Get with Cab, and Jumping Jive. Some of his hit songs are "Minnie the Moocher," and "Miracle Day." He was one of the best known black entertainers of his time, along with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ethel Waters.

His Shows

As said before, Cab Calloway was a major show man. Starring in Broadway shows such as "Blackbirds," of 1928. Along with Broadway shows, he also performed in "Plantation days." Along with being an actor, Cabell was a pretty good dancer. The Show Biz was the business he felt at home with.

Cab is playing at the Cotton Club

His Home Life

Cab attended Fredrich Douglass High School, in Boltimore. His college, which he dropped out of, was Lincoln University. Cab Calloway was married twice. His first wife, Betty, was a marriage that didn't work out, and they got divorced. His next marriage which lasted until his death, was Nuffie. They got married in 1945, and stayed married until he died. His high school girlfriend was Zelma Proctor. They had a daughter named Camay Murphy. More of his daughters are Chris Calloway, Eulalia Tyson, and Cabella Langsom. Cab had a sister too, named Blanche Calloway, who was a band leader.

His Older Days

Cab Calloway's first missed show was in the year 1989, on a tour in Tokyo.

Old Cab

He was rushed to the Tokyo hospital, after passing out backstage. Cab, before he passed, was acknowledged several different medals and awards, including the Ebony Lifetime Achievement award. He was honored by the Negro Actors' Guild. On June 5, 1993, he fell in his home at White Plains, New York, breaking his hip. He recovered, and in October, 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded him with the National Medal of Arts award. This was his most prestigious awards. Bill Clinton called him "one of the originators of American Jazz." Click here for more information about his awards. On November 18, 1994, Cab Calloway died of a stroke in June, earlier that year. He died in the town of Hockessin, DE. His ashes were cremated, and given to his family.