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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Music / History Regarding the Perceived Whiteness of Singer Ina Ray Hutton

Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 6:00 AM

1930s swing band leader Ina Ray Hutton—not who everyone thought she was.

Posted with permission of Susan Stordahl Porter
Ina Ray Hutton—not exactly who everyone thought she was.

I'm quite late to this story, which aired last fall on Studio 360. But, having been turned on to it, I want to say: don't miss.

It's by KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher, and it begins: "Ina Ray Hutton was a stone cold fox."

Hutton was a swing band leader in the 1930s, a "blond bombshell" backed by a bunch of female musicians known as the Melodears. As Fletcher discovered, decades after Hutton's death, through a combination of accident and intuition, Hutton was also part black.

I don't want to give too much more away. You should know that this piece won the Edward R. Murrow Award. It also deserves some sort of prize for Best Use of Badonkadonk in a Public Radio Broadcast. LISTEN.

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Comments (4) RSS

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I haven't listened to the story so for now my only comment is: damn that women was beautiful!

Posted by moosefan on July 3, 2012 at 7:26 AM

Sorry but Thelma Terry was stone cold foxier:

http://www.redhotjazz.com/terry.html

She was not only the first female jazz band leader but she was also a bass player.

http://topguitar.pl/wp-content/uploads/2…

So many barriers broken by one woman. Who also just happens to be super gorgeous!

Posted by bassplayerguy on July 3, 2012 at 7:38 AM

I'd hit 'em both, but they're very average looking women, at best.

Posted by catsnbanjos on July 3, 2012 at 9:21 AM

@3 I think you underestimate the sexiness of women who play bass.

Posted by bassplayerguy on July 3, 2012 at 5:05 PM