Calloway, Blanche (1902–1973)

African-American singer who was one of the most successful band leaders of the 1930s and the first black woman to lead an all-male band. Born on February 2, 1902, in Baltimore, Maryland; died on December 16, 1973, in Baltimore; one of four children of Cabell (a real-estate agent and lawyer) and Martha Eulalia (Reed) Calloway (a teacher); sister of entertainer Cab Calloway and band leader Elmer Calloway; attended Morgan State College.

After a brief stay at Morgan State College, Blanche Calloway began her professional career in Baltimore as a singer in local revues, stage shows, and nightclubs. In 1923, she joined the touring company of the Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake musical Shuffle Along. In 1927, when a subsequent tour in Plantation Days ended in Chicago, she took up residency there to work as a nightclub vocalist. Four years later, in 1931, she sang with the Andy Kirk band at Philadelphia's Pearl Theater.

Between 1931 and 1938, Calloway headed her own all-male band—Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, and later Blanche Calloway and Her Orchestra—which included some of the top musicians of the day. Appearing at New York's exclusive black theaters, the band played the Lafayette, the Harlem Opera House, and the Apollo. With their theme song "Growlin' Dan," they performed across the United States and recorded frequently for Victor. In a survey conducted by the Pittsburgh Courier in 1931, Calloway's band ranked 9th of 38, only 5 slots behind Louis Armstrong. A reviewer for the Courier called her "one of the most progressive performers in the profession."

In 1938, bankruptcy forced Calloway to give up the band, after which she worked as a solo artist for several years. By 1944, she had tired of life on the road and settled in Philadelphia, where she became active in community and political affairs. After moving to Florida in 1953, she became a disc jockey on radio station WMEM out of Miami. She later founded and served as president of Afram House, a company specializing in cosmetics and hair preparations for blacks. Continuing her activity in politics, in 1958 Calloway was the first black woman in Miami to vote.

Details of her private life are difficult to track. One source claims that her bankruptcy was filed under the name Pinder, giving evidence of at least one marriage. Her story has been eclipsed by that of her immensely successful brother Cab, who ironically was known during his sister's heyday as Blanche's younger brother.

suggested reading:

Calloway, Cab, and Bryant Rolls. Of Minnie the Moocher and Me. NY: Crowell, 1976.

Barbara Morgan , Melrose, Massachusetts