Virginia Louise "Midge" Williams was an African-American swing and jazz vocalist during the 1930s and 1940s.
17 Facts About Midge Williams
1.
2.
Midge Williams's grandfather Joshua had been a music teacher, her mother Virginia Louise was an artist, and her uncle Henry played the violin.
3.
Midge Williams had a half-brother named Lester Williams who worked as a jazz musician.
4.
In 1934, in Japan, Midge Williams made the first recordings of her career for Columbia records' Japanese division.
5.
Midge Williams recorded 5 songs, including Dinah, Lazy Bones and St Louis Blues singing in both English and Japanese.
6.
Midge Williams took up residence in Berkeley, and in the summer of 1935 became a regular performer on the radio program Blue Monday Jamboree.
7.
Midge Williams's singing voice won her a position doing a series of twice-weekly, 15 minute sustaining programs of songs for the NBC Blue Network.
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Midge Williams appeared with several other jazz musicians, including Lil Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Harry James, John Kirby, Glenn Miller, Fats Waller, Ben Webster, and Teddy Wilson.
9.
In 1938, Midge Williams joined the Louis Armstrong orchestra, and toured with him across the country, although no recordings of Midge Williams with Armstrong were made.
10.
In 1941, Midge Williams left the Louis Armstrong orchestra and entered a Detroit hospital.
11.
Midge Williams briefly returned to the band in the summer of 1943.
12.
Carrie Miller's syndicated Backstage Column reported that Midge Williams was being "enticed to rejoin the band in the absence of Velma Middleton" and that she was booked to do Soundies.
13.
Midge Williams continued to make club appearances through the 1940s, primarily in New York.
14.
Columnist Ted Yates reported that Midge Williams quit Tondaleyo's Niteclub "in a huff" in early December 1944.
15.
From early June through October 1946, Midge Williams appeared at Mona's 440 Club, the first lesbian bar in San Francisco.
16.
On January 9,1952, Midge Williams died from tuberculosis, at the age of 36.
17.
Midge Williams was cremated and her ashes interred in San Francisco.