Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist of the

swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing rid ...

era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years. Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the most popular dance bands in the United States from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. His band included trumpeters

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Cozy Cole. Calloway had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, becoming known as the "Hi-de-ho" man of jazz for his most famous song, " Minnie the Moocher", originally recorded in 1931. He reached the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' charts in five consecutive decades (1930s–1970s). Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances until his death in 1994 at the age of 86. He had roles in ''Stormy Weather'' (1943), '' Porgy and Bess'' (1953), '' The Cincinnati Kid'' (1965), and ''Hello Dolly!'' (1967). His career saw renewed interest when he appeared in the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers.'' Calloway was the first African-American musician to sell a million records from a single and to have a nationally syndicated radio show. In 1993, Calloway received the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

from the United States Congress. He posthumously received the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...

in 2008. His song "Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2019. Three years later in 2022, the National Film Registry selected his home films for preservation as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films". He is also inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and the International Jazz Hall of Fame.

Early life

Calloway was born in Rochester, New York, on December 25, 1907 to an African American family. His mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a Morgan State College graduate, teacher, and church organist. His father, Cabell Calloway Jr., graduated from

Lincoln University of Pennsylvania Lincoln University (LU) is a public state-related historically black university (HBCU) near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Founded as the private Ashmun Institute in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972 and was the United States' first deg ...

in 1898, and worked as a lawyer and in real estate. The family moved to

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, when Calloway was 11. Soon after, his father died and his mother remarried to John Nelson Fortune. Calloway grew up in the West Baltimore neighborhood of Druid Hill. He often skipped school to earn money by selling newspapers, shining shoes, and cooling down horses at the

Pimlico racetrack Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

where he developed an interest in racing and betting on horse races. After he was caught playing dice on the church steps, his mother sent him to

Downingtown Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 7,898. Downingtown was settled by European colonists in the early 18th century and has a number of historic buildings an ...

Industrial and Agricultural School in 1921, a reform school run by his mother's uncle in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Calloway resumed hustling when he returned to Baltimore and worked as a caterer while he improved his studies in school. He began private vocal lessons in 1922, and studied music throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and teachers' disapproval of jazz, he began performing in nightclubs in Baltimore. His mentors included drummer

Chick Webb William Henry "Chick" Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was an American jazz and swing music drummer and band leader. Early life Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to William H. and Marie Webb. The year of his birth is disputed. ...

and pianist Johnny Jones. Calloway joined his high school basketball team, and in his senior year he started playing professional basketball with the Baltimore Athenians, a team in the Negro Professional Basketball League. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1925.

Music career

1927–1929: Early career

In 1927, Calloway joined his older sister, Blanche Calloway, on tour for the popular black musical revue ''

Plantation Days ''Plantation Days'' (1922) was a touring musical revue with Sam Wooding and James P. Johnson as musical directors at different stages of the tour. Produced by Morris "Maury" Greenwald, His sister became an accomplished bandleader before him, and he often credited her as his inspiration for entering show business. Calloway's mother wanted him to be a lawyer like his father, so once the tour ended he enrolled at Crane College in Chicago, but he was more interested in singing and entertaining. While at Crane he refused the opportunity to play basketball for the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of i ...

to pursue a singing career. Calloway spent most of his nights at Chicago's Dreamland Café,

Sunset Cafe The Sunset Cafe, also known as The Grand Terrace Cafe, was a jazz club in Chicago, Illinois operating during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. It was one of the most important jazz clubs in America, especially during the period between 1917 and 1928 whe ...

, and Club Berlin, performing as a singer, drummer, and master of ceremonies. At Sunset Cafe, he was an understudy for singer

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hal ...

. There he met and performed with

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

, who taught him to sing in the scat style. He left school to sing with the Alabamians band. In 1929, Calloway relocated to New York with the band. They opened at the Savoy Ballroom on September 20, 1929. When the Alabamians broke up, Armstrong recommended Calloway as a replacement singer in the musical revue '' Connie's Hot Chocolates''. He established himself as a vocalist singing " Ain't Misbehavin'" by

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

. While Calloway was performing in the revue,

the Missourians ''The Missourians'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by George Blair and written by Arthur E. Orloff. The film stars Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, Roy Barcroft, Lyn Thomas, Howard Negley and Scott Elliott. The film was released as a Faw ...

asked him to front their band.

1930–1955: Success

In 1930,

became known as Cab Calloway and His Orchestra. At the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York, the band was hired in 1931 to substitute for the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

Orchestra while Ellington's band was on tour. Their popularity led to a permanent position. The band also performed twice a week for radio broadcasts on NBC. Calloway appeared on radio programs with Walter Winchell and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and was the first African American to have a nationally syndicated radio show. During the depths of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, Calloway was earning $50,000 a year at 23 years old. Cab Calloway as Bandleader (Van Vechten portrait -2)

In 1931, Calloway recorded his most famous song, " Minnie the Moocher." It was the first single record by an African American to sell a million copies. Calloway performed the song and two others, "

St. James Infirmary Blues "St. James Infirmary Blues" is an American blues song and jazz standard of uncertain origin. Louis Armstrong made the song famous in his 1928 recording on which Don Redman was credited as composer; later releases gave the name Joe Primrose, a ...

" and "The Old Man of the Mountain," in the

Betty Boop Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...

cartoons '' Minnie the Moocher'' (1932), '' Snow-White'' (1933), and ''

The Old Man of the Mountain The Old Man of the Mountain, also called the Great Stone Face and the Profile, was a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire, United States, that appeared to be the jagged profile of a human face when v ...

'' (1933). Calloway performed voice-over for these cartoons, and through

rotoscoping Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Originally, animators projected photographed live-action movie images onto a glass panel and traced ov ...

, his dance steps were the basis of the characters' movements. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher", Calloway became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man". He performed in the 1930s in a series of short films for Paramount. Calloway's and Ellington's groups were featured on film more than any other jazz orchestras of the era. In these films, Calloway can be seen performing a gliding backstep dance move, which some observers have described as the precursor to Michael Jackson's moonwalk. Calloway said 50 years later, "it was called The Buzz back then." The 1933 film ''

International House International House or International Student(s) House may refer to: Australia *International House, Sydney, a heritage-listed building in Sydney, New South Wales *International House (University of Melbourne), a residential college on the campus o ...

'' featured Calloway performing his classic song, "Reefer Man", a tune about a man who smokes

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

. Fredi Washington was cast as Calloway's love interest in '' Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho'' (1934).

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

made her film debut as a dancer in '' Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party'' (1935). Calloway made his first Hollywood feature film appearance opposite Al Jolson in '' The Singing Kid'' (1936). He sang several duets with Jolson, and the film included Calloway's band and 22 Cotton Club dancers from New York. According to film critic Arthur Knight, the creators of the film intended to "erase and celebrate boundaries and differences, including most emphatically the color line...when Calloway begins singing in his characteristic style – in which the words are tools for exploring rhythm and stretching melody – it becomes clear that American culture is changing around Jolson and with (and through) Calloway".Knight, Arthur. ''Disintegrating the Musical: Black Performance and American Musical Film'', Duke University Press (2002), pp. 72–76. Calloway's band recorded for Brunswick and the

ARC ARC may refer to: Business * Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s * Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services * ...

dime-store labels (Banner, Cameo, Conqueror, Perfect, Melotone, Banner, Oriole) from 1930 to 1932, when he signed with

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

for a year. He returned to Brunswick in late 1934 through 1936, then moved to Variety, run by his manager,

Irving Mills Irving Harold Mills (born Isadore Minsky; January 16, 1894 – April 21, 1985) was an American music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz artist promoter. He sometimes used the pseudonyms Goody Goodwin and Joe Primrose. Personal Mills was ...

. He remained with Mills when the label collapsed during the Depression. Their sessions were continued by Vocalion through 1939 and OKeh through 1942. After an AFM recording ban due to the

1942–44 musicians' strike Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe co ...

, Calloway continued to record. In 1938, Calloway released ''Cab Calloway's Cat-ologue: A " Hepster's" Dictionary'', the first dictionary published by an African American. It became the official jive language reference book of the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

. A revised version of the book was released with ''Professor Cab Calloway's Swingformation Bureau'' in 1939. He released the last edition, ''The New Cab Calloway's Hepsters Dictionary: Language of Jive,'' in 1944. On a BBC Radio documentary about the dictionary in 2014, Poet Lemn Sissay stated, "Cab Calloway was taking ownership of language for a people who, just a few generations before, had their own languages taken away." Calloway's band in the 1930s and 1940s included many notable musicians, such as Ben Webster, Illinois Jacquet, Milt Hinton, Danny Barker, Doc Cheatham, Ed Swayze, Cozy Cole, Eddie Barefield, and

. Calloway later recalled, "What I expected from my musicians was what I was selling: the right notes with precision, because I would build a whole song around a scat or dance step." Calloway and his band formed baseball and basketball teams. They played each other while on the road, play against local semi-pro teams, and play charity games. His renown as a talented musician was such that, in the opening scene of the 1940 musical film ''Strike Up the Band'', starring

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

and Judy Garland, Rooney's character is admonished by his music teacher, "You are not Cab Calloway," after playing an improvised drum riff in the middle of a band lesson. In 1941, Calloway fired Gillespie from his orchestra after an onstage fracas erupted when Calloway was hit with spitballs. He wrongly accused Gillespie, who stabbed Calloway in the leg with a small knife. From 1941 to 1942, Calloway hosted a weekly radio quiz show called ''The Cab Calloway Quizzicale''. Calling himself "Doctor" Calloway, it was a parody of ''The College of Musical Knowledge'', a radio contest created by bandleader Kay Kyser. During the years of World War II, Calloway entertained troops in United States before they departed overseas. The Calloway Orchestra also recorded songs full of social commentary including "Doing the Reactionary," "The Führer's Got the Jitters," "The Great Lie," "We'll Gather Lilacs," and "My Lament for V Day." In 1943, Calloway appeared in the film '' Stormy Weather'', one of the first mainstream Hollywood films with a black cast. The film featured other top performers of the time, including Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, the Nicholas Brothers, and Fats Waller. Calloway would host Horne's character Selina Rogers as she performed the film's title song as part of a big all-star revue for World War II soldiers. Calloway wrote a humorous pseudo-gossip column called "Coastin' with Cab" for ''Song Hits'' magazine. It was a collection of celebrity snippets, such as the following in the May 1946 issue: "

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

was dining at Ciro's steak house in New York when a very homely girl entered. 'If her face is her fortune,' Benny quipped, 'she'd be tax-free.'" In the late 1940s, however, Calloway's bad financial decisions and his gambling caused his band to break up. Cabsuit

In 1953, he played the prominent role of Sportin' Life in a production of '' Porgy and Bess'' with William Warfield and Leontyne Price as the title characters.

1956–1960: Cotton Club Revue

Calloway and his daughter Lael recorded "Little Child", an adaption of "

Little Boy and the Old Man "Little Boy and the Old Man" is a song with words and music by Wayne Shanklin, first recorded by Frankie Laine and Jimmy Boyd in 1953. In 1956, a new version of the song with French lyrics by René Rouzand, "L'Homme et L'Enfant," was used in the ...

". Released on

ABC-Paramount ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! Records, Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquire ...

, the single charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1956. In 1956, Clarence Robinson, who produced revues at the original Cotton Club and the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...

, and choreographed the movie ''Stormy Weather'', cast Calloway as the main attraction for his project in Miami. The Cotton Club of Miami featured a troupe of 48 people, including singer Sallie Blair, George Kirby, Abbey Lincoln, and the dance troupe of Norma Miller. The success of the shows led to the Cotton Club Revue of 1957 which had stops at the Royal Nevada Hotel in Las Vegas, the Theatre Under The Sky in Central Park, Town Casino in Buffalo. For the second season, Lee Sherman was the choreographer of The Cotton Club Revue of 1958, which starred Calloway. The revue featured tap dancing prodigies Maurice Hines and Gregory Hines. In March 1958, Calloway released his album ''Cotton Club Revue of 1958'' on Gone Records. It was produced by George Goldner, conducted and arranged by Eddie Barefield. That year, Calloway appeared in the film '' St. Louis Blues'', the life story of

W.C. Handy William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musici ...

, featuring Nat King Cole and

Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...

. The Cotton Club Revue of 1959 traveled to South America for engagements in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. They also stopped in Uruguay and Argentina before returning to North America which included a run on Broadway. Directed by Mervyn Nelson and choreographed by Joel Nobel, this edition featured Ketty Lester, The Three Chocolateers. The revue toured Europe in 1959 and 1960, bringing their act to Madrid, Paris, and London.

1961–1993: Later years

Calloway remained a household name due to TV appearances and occasional concerts in the US and Europe. In 1961 and 1962, he toured with the Harlem Globetrotters, providing halftime entertainment during games. Calloway was cast as "Yeller" in the film '' The Cincinnati Kid'' (1965) with

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

, Ann-Margret, and

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

. Calloway appeared on '' The Ed Sullivan Show'' on March 19, 1967, with his daughter Chris Calloway. In 1967, he co-starred with

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...

as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black cast of '' Hello, Dolly!'' on Broadway during its original run. Chris Calloway also joined the cast as Minnie Fay. The new cast revived the flagging business for the show and RCA Victor released a new cast recording, rare for the time. In 1973–74, Calloway was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of '' The Pajama Game'' with Hal Linden and Barbara McNair. His autobiography, ''Of Minnie the Moocher and Me'' was published in 1976. It included his complete ''Hepster's Dictionary'' as an appendix. In 1978, Calloway released a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

version of "Minnie the Moocher" on RCA which reached the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Calloway was introduced to a new generation when he appeared in the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers'' performing "Minnie the Moocher". In 1985, Calloway and his Orchestra appeared at

The Ritz London The Ritz London is a Grade II listed 5-star hotel in Piccadilly, London, England. A symbol of high society and luxury, the hotel is one of the world's most prestigious and best known. The Ritz has become so associated with luxury and elegan ...

Hotel where he was filmed for a 60-minute BBC TV show called ''The Cotton Club Comes to the Ritz''.

, Doc Cheatham, Max Roach, and the Nicholas Brothers also appeared on the bill. A performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra directed by

Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the '' Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinna ...

in August 1988 was recorded on video and features a classic presentation of "Minnie the Moocher", 57 years after he first recorded it. In January 1990, Calloway performed at the

Meyerhoff Symphony Hall The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, often referred to simply as the Meyerhoff, is a music venue that opened September 16, 1982, at 1212 Cathedral Street in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The main auditoriu ...

, with the Baltimore Symphony. That year he made a cameo in

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's music video " Alright". He continued to perform at Jazz festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Greenwood Jazz. In 1992, he embarked on a month-long tour of European jazz festivals. He was booked to headline "The Jazz Connection: The Jewish and African-American Relationship," at New York City's Avery Fisher Hall in 1993, but he pulled out due to a fall at home.

Personal life

Marriages and children

In January 1927, Calloway had a daughter named Camay with Zelma Proctor, a fellow student. His daughter was one of the first African-Americans to teach in a white school in Virginia. Calloway married his first wife Wenonah "Betty" Conacher in July 1928. They adopted a daughter named Constance and divorced in 1949. Calloway married Zulme "Nuffie" MacNeal on October 7, 1949. They lived in Long Beach on the South Shore of

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, on the border with neighboring Lido Beach. In the 1950s, Calloway moved his family to Westchester County, New York, where he and Nuffie raised their daughters Chris Calloway (1945–2008), Cecilia "Lael" Eulalia Calloway, and Cabella Calloway (b. 1952).

Legal issues

In December 1945, Calloway and his friend Felix H. Payne Jr. were beaten by a police officer, William E. Todd, and arrested in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

after attempting to visit bandleader

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

at the whites-only Pla-Mor Ballroom. They were taken to the hospital for injuries, then charged with intoxication and resisting arrest. When Hampton learned of the incident he refused to continue the concert. Todd said he was informed by the manager, who did not recognize Calloway, that they were attempting to enter. He claimed they refused to leave and struck him. Calloway and Payne denied his claims and maintained they had been sober; the charges were dismissed. In February 1946, six civil rights organizations, including the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

, demanded that Todd be fired, but he had already resigned after a pay cut. In 1952, Calloway was arrested in Leesburg, Virginia on his way to the race track in Charles Town, West Virginia. He was charged with speeding and attempted bribery of a policeman.

Death

On June 12, 1994, Calloway suffered a stroke at his home in Westchester County, New York. He died five months later from pneumonia on November 18, 1994, a month before his 87th birthday, at a nursing home in Hockessin, Delaware. He was survived by his wife, five daughters, and seven grandsons. Calloway was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Legacy

Music critics have written of his influence on later generations of entertainers such as

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, as well as modern-day hip-hop performers. John Landis, who directed Calloway in the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers'', stated, "Cab Calloway is hip-hop." Journalist Timothy White noted in ''Billboard'' (August 14, 1993): "No living pathfinder in American popular music or its jazz and rock 'n' roll capillaries is so frequently emulated yet so seldom acknowledged as Cabell "Cab" Calloway. He arguably did more things first and better than any other band leader of his generation." In 1998, the Cab Calloway Orchestra directed by Calloway's grandson Chris "CB" Calloway Brooks was formed. In 2009, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy released an album covering Calloway's music titled '' How Big Can You Get?: The Music of Cab Calloway''. In 2012, Calloway's legacy was celebrated in an episode of PBS's '' American Masters'' titled "Cab Calloway: Sketches". Calloway house

In 2019, plans were announced to demolish Calloway's boyhood home at 2216 Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore, replacing the abandoned structure and the rest of that block with a park to be named ''Cab Calloway Legends Park'' in his honor. Family members and the

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

advocated preservation of the house, however, as a significant artifact of African-American cultural heritage. Although the block is designated "historically significant" on the National Register of Historic Places, Baltimore City officials said at a hearing on July 9, 2019, that there is "extensive structural damage" to the Calloway house as well as adjacent ones. The Commission on Historical and Architectural Preservation's executive director, however, said that properties in worse condition than the Calloway House have been restored with financial support from a city tax credit program. Maryland Governor

Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...

also urged that demolition of the Calloway House be forestalled for its potential preservation as a historic house museum akin to the Louis Armstrong House in New York. Design options for the planned Cab Calloway Square may include an archway from the facade ''(pictured)'' as part of the Square's entrance, as proposed by architects working with Baltimore City and the Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, a Non-Profit community oriented group. Despite objections, the house was razed on September 5, 2020. In 2022, his home films were selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Awards and honors

In 1985, Town Supervisor Anthony F. Veteran issued a proclamation, declaring a ''Cab Calloway Day'' in Greenburgh, New York. In 1990, Calloway was presented with the Beacons in Jazz Award from The New School in New York City. New York City Mayor David Dinkins proclaimed the day "Cab Calloway Day". In 1992, the Cab Calloway School of the Arts was founded in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1994, Calloway's daughter

Camay Calloway Murphy Camay Calloway Murphy (born January 15, 1927) was a retired American educator. The daughter of Jazz bandleader and singer Cab Calloway, Murphy was one of the first African-Americans to teach in white schools in Virginia. As an educator, Murphy em ...

founded the Cab Calloway Museum at

Coppin State College Coppin State University (Coppin) is a public historically black university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland and a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In terms of demographics, the Coppin State stu ...

in Baltimore, Maryland. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) annually honors the jazz legend, a native of Rochester, N.Y., with a stakes races restricted to NY-bred three-year-olds, as part of their New York Stallion Series. First run in 2003, Th
Calloway
has since undergone various distance and surface changes. The race is currently run at Saratoga Racecourse, Saratoga Springs, NY, one of America's most popular, premier racetracks. The Cab Calloway Stakes celebrated its 13th renewal on July 24, 2019, and was won by Rinaldi. In 2020 Calloway was inducted into the

National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame is an independent organization whose mission is to educate and to celebrate, preserve, promote, and present rhythm and blues music globally. History The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame was founded ...

Calloway received the following accolades: * 1967: Best Performance, Outer Critics Circle Awards ( ''Hello, Dolly'') * 1987: Inducted into Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame *1990: Beacons in Jazz Award, The New School * 1993:

* 1993: Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, University of Rochester * 1993: Cab Calloway School of the Arts dedicated in his name in Wilmington, Delaware *1995: Inducted into International Jazz Hall of Fame * 1999: Grammy Hall of Fame Award for " Minnie the Moocher" * 2008:

* 2018: "Minnie the Moocher" added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry

Discography

Albums

* 1943: ''Cab Calloway And His Orchestra'' (Brunswick) * 1956: ''Cab Calloway'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

) * 1958: ''Cotton Club Revue 1958'' ( Gone Records) * 1959: ''Hi De Hi De Ho'' (RCA Victor) * 1962: ''Blues Makes Me Happy'' ( Coral) * 1968: ''Cab Calloway '68'' (

Pickwick International Pickwick Records was an American record label and British record distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo (later changing its name to Internati ...

)

Select compilations

* 1974: ''Hi De Ho Man'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

) * 1983: ''Mr. Hi. De. Ho. 1930–1931'' (

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...

) * 1990: ''Cab Calloway: Best Of The Big Bands'' (Columbia) * 1992: ''The King Of Hi-De-Ho 1934–1947'' (Giants of Jazz) * 1998: ''Jumpin' Jive'' (Camden) * 2001: ''Cab Calloway and His Orchestra Volume 1: The Early Years 1930–1934'' ( JSP) * 2003: ''Cab Calloway & His Orchestra Volume 2: 1935–1940'' (JSP)

Charting singles

Stage

Filmography

Features * '' The Big Broadcast'' (1932) – Himself * ''

'' (1933) – Cab Calloway * '' The Singing Kid'' (1936) – Cotton Club Band Leader * '' Manhattan Merry-Go-Round'' (1937) – Cotton Club Orchestra Leader (uncredited) * '' Stormy Weather'' (1943) – Himself * '' Sensations of 1945'' (1944) – Himself * ''Ebony Parade'' (1947) – Himself (archive footage) * '' Hi De Ho'' (1947) – Cab Calloway * ''

Rhythm and Blues Revue ''Rhythm and Blues Revue'' is a 1955 American concert film directed by Joseph Kohn and Leonard Reed. Summary ''Rhythm and Blues Revue'' is a plotless variety show, one of several compiled for theatrical exhibition from the made-for-television ...

'' (1955) * ''

Basin Street Revue ''Basin Street Revue'' is a 1956 American film directed by Joseph Kohn and Leonard Reed. The film is also known as ''Basin Street Review'' (American TV title). Cast *Willie Bryant as himself *Sarah Vaughan as herself *Lionel Hampton as himse ...

'' (1956) – Himself * '' St. Louis Blues'' (1958) – Blade * ''Schlager-Raketen'' (1960) – Sänger / Himself * '' The Cincinnati Kid'' (1965) – Yeller * ''

The Littlest Angel ''The Littlest Angel'' is an American children's book by Charles Tazewell. It was first published in 1946, illustrated by Katherine Evans. It was reissued with different illustrators in 1962 and 1991. All the versions were published by Children's ...

'' (1969) – Gabriel * '' The Blues Brothers'' (1980) – Curtis Short subjects * '' Minnie the Moocher'' (1932) – Himself – Bandleader (uncredited) * '' Snow-White'' (1933) – Koko the Clown (voice, uncredited) * ''

'' (1933) – Cab Calloway & Old Man * ''

Betty Boop's Rise to Fame ''Betty Boop's Rise to Fame'' is a 1934 Fleischer Studios animated short film, starring Betty Boop. Plot In a live action sequence, a reporter interviewing Max Fleischer asks him about Betty Boop. Max obligingly draws Betty "out of the inkwell ...

'' (1934) – Old Man (voice, uncredited) * '' Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho'' (1934) – Himself * '' Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party'' (1935) – Himself * ''Hi De Ho'' (1937) – Himself * '' Mother Goose Goes Hollywood'' (1938) * ''Meet the Maestros'' (1938) – Band Leader, ZaZuZaz number * '' Alright'' by Janet Jackson (1990) – Himself

References

External links

Cab Calloway School of the Arts official website

NAMM Oral History Interview (1993)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Calloway, Cab 1907 births 1994 deaths Jazz musicians from Maryland Jazz musicians from New York (state) Singers from Maryland Musicians from Baltimore Musicians from New York City Musicians from Rochester, New York People from New Castle County, Delaware Songwriters from Maryland Songwriters from New York (state) Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) alumni 20th-century American dancers American blues singers African-American jazz musicians African-American male dancers American jazz bandleaders American jazz singers American male dancers Articles containing video clips Big band bandleaders Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery Converts to Anglicanism from Presbyterianism Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners United States National Medal of Arts recipients The Cab Calloway Orchestra members Jive singers Scat singers Swing bandleaders Swing singers Vaudeville performers ABC Records artists Vocalion Records artists Brunswick Records artists Columbia Records artists Bell Records artists Okeh Records artists RCA Victor artists RCA Records artists Coral Records artists Epic Records artists American stage actors Nightclub performers 20th-century African-American male singers African-American songwriters Deaths from pneumonia in Delaware African-American history of Westchester County, New York