Eddie Durham's All-Star Girl Orchestra was an African-American

all-female band An all-female band is a musical group in popular music that is exclusively composed of female musicians. This is distinct from a girl group, in which the female members are solely vocalists, though this terminology is not universally followed. While ...

started by arranger

Eddie Durham Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger. He was one of the pioneers of the electric guitar in jazz. The orchestras of Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie ...

in January 1942. By November, the All-Stars were a part of Moe Gale's New York agency. The group was also known as "Eddie Durham's All-Girl Band" and performed throughout the country and internationally. The All-Stars typically had between eighteen and twenty-two members and pulled musicians from other popular bands of the time, including The Harlem Playgirls and

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day. They played swing and jazz on a national circuit that inclu ...

History

Popularity

Starting July 9, 1943, the All-Star Girl Orchestra traveled throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

performing, with concerts at cities, such as Columbus,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and USO dates. The All-Stars were very popular during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and performed at

United Service Organization The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

(USO) Camp Shows. They dedicated at least one night per week on the war effort and their activities included raising war bonds, uplifting morale, and performing at military camps and USO centers. During their time together, they performed at seventy-two army camps throughout Canada. Unlike other bands that struggled to find funding during restrictive war times, the All-Stars had luxury buses adapt with hot and cold water, air conditioning, and sleeping accommodations. The band also received government supplied gas coupons. They had enough money because of

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established the organi ...

. She was the founder of the

National Council of Negro Women The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1935 with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African-American women, their families, and communities. Mary McLeod Bethune, the f ...

and Bethune-Cook College.

received permission from

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

to allow the bus to travel anywhere. The All-Stars played at popular venues including the Paramount Theater,

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

Howard Theater The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African- ...

, and were even invited to perform on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The All-Stars were repeat guests at the

. They performed in 1942 in February, September, and June, October 1943, and April 1944. At times, they performed with other popular acts including

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Moms Mabley Loretta Mary Aiken (March 19, 1894 – May 23, 1975), known by her stage name Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was an American stand-up comedian and actress. Mabley began her career on the theater stage in the 1920s and became a veteran entertainer of the ...

, and comedian duo

Butterbeans and Susie Butterbeans and Susie were an American comedy duo comprising Jodie Edwards (July 19, 1893 – October 28, 1967) and Susie Edwards (née Hawthorne; December 1894 – December 5, 1963). They married in 1917, and performed together until the ...

Folding

In 1945, after

VJ day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

, the All-Stars were supposed to perform at Sweets' Ballroom in Oakland, California. After performing for one week, they disbanded because the male musicians were returning to the United States. Durham ensured each member returned home. Durham trained singer Jean Parks to take over the All-Stars. The band was then titled Jean Parks's All Star-Girl Band. However, the band officially ended less than a year later after Parks fell ill. Many of the former All-Star members went on to join other bands, including Lorraine Brown Guilford's

Darlings of Rhythm The Darlings of Rhythm was an African American, all-female swing band from the 1940s. The Darlings were often compared with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, another African American all-girl swing band. The Darlings were darker skinned tha ...

Line Up

The line-up of the All-Stars changed throughout its history. * Dolly Jones Armenra - Trumpet * Edna Williams - Trumpet *

Jean Starr Jean Starr was an actress, dancer, and trumpeter who became a Chicago society figure after marrying Chicago numbers racket tycoon and Jones brothers, McKissack "Mack" McHenry Jones, and becoming Jean Starr Jones. Starr was from Columbus, Ohio. ...

- Trumpet * Nova Lee McGee - Trumpet * Thelma Lewis - Trumpet * Flo Jones - Trumpet * Lela Julius- Trombone * Jessie Turner - Trombone * Sammy Lee Jett - Trombone * Ellarize Thompson - Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, and Violin * Alma Cortez - Baritone Saxophone * Lorraine Brown Guilford - Saxophone * Josephine Boyd- Saxophone * Margaret Backstreet "Padjo" - Saxophone * Edith Farthing - Upright Bass * Violet "Vi" M. Wilson - Bass

References

{{authority control African-American musical groups American jazz ensembles African-American history between emancipation and the civil rights movement History of women in the United States 1942 establishments in the United States 1940s disestablishments in the United States All-female bands

History

Popularity

Folding

Line Up

See also

References