27 Facts About Mildred Bailey

Mildred Bailey had three records that reached number one on the popular charts.

Mildred Bailey's mother Josephine was a citizen of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and a devout Roman Catholic.

Mildred Bailey's great-grandfather, Bazil Peone, was a head speaker and song leader of the Coeur d'Alene at the turn of the 20th century.

Mildred Bailey's mother played piano every evening and taught her to play and sing.

Mildred Bailey accompanied her mother to traditional native ceremonies, where she heard and practiced the traditional songs and lyrics that would later influence her unique singing voice.

Mildred Bailey married and divorced Ted Bailey, keeping his last name because she thought it sounded more American than Rinker, which was of Swiss origin.

Mildred Bailey toured with a West Coast revue and finished in California where she obtained work at radio station KMTR and at a speakeasy in Bakersfield called The Swede's.

Giddins says Crosby heard about Louis Armstrong from Mildred Bailey, who urged him to hear Armstrong if Crosby was to be a serious jazz singer.

Mildred Bailey played Crosby records from her collection by Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith.

Crosby helped Mildred Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman in Los Angeles.

Mildred Bailey sang with Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933.

Whiteman had a radio program for Old Gold Cigarettes, and when Mildred Bailey debuted on it with her version of "Moanin' Low" on August 6,1929, favorable public reaction was immediate.

However, Mildred Bailey's first recording with Whiteman did not take place until October 6,1931, when she recorded a song called "My Goodbye to You".

Mildred Bailey's recording of "All of Me" with Whiteman the same year was a hit in 1932.

Mildred Bailey was Whiteman's female vocalist through 1932 but left the band later that same year over salary disagreements.

Mildred Bailey recorded four sides for Brunswick in 1931 with the Casa Loma Orchestra.

In 1933, Mildred Bailey married Red Norvo, a xylophonist, improviser, and band leader who had worked with Paul Whiteman.

Mildred Bailey worked as a solo act, singing in clubs in New York, such as the Cafe Society and the Blue Angel.

From September 1944, Mildred Bailey's radio show began on CBS and continued until February 1945.

From 1936 to 1939, Norvo recorded for Brunswick, and Mildred Bailey recorded for Vocalion, often with Norvo's band.

Mildred Bailey was featured on Benny Goodman's Camel Caravan radio program and sang on a number of Goodman's Columbia recordings in 1939 and 1940, including her version of "Darn That Dream" which was a hit in 1940.

Mildred Bailey went into retirement for a time in 1949 on a farm she owned in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Mildred Bailey died of heart failure on December 12,1951 in St Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York at the age of 44.

In 1938, Mildred Bailey had two number one hits with Red Norvo and His Orchestra.

Mildred Bailey sang lead vocals with Norvo on "Says My Heart", which reached number one during the week of June 18,1938.

Mildred Bailey sang lead vocals on "Darn That Dream", recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, which reached number one for one week in March 1940 on the US pop chart.

The 2023 American historical drama miniseries "Lessons in Chemistry" used Mildred Bailey's 1940 recording of "Wham " as its opening theme song.