Irene Armstrong Wilson Kitchings (c. 1908-1975) was an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, band leader, and songwriter. She performed both as a solo act and as a band member. After transitioning to songwriting, Kitchings co-wrote "Some Other Spring", "Ghost of Yesterday", and "I'm Pulling Through", all of which were recorded by

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

Life and career

Irene Kitchings was born Irene Armstrong in

Marietta, Ohio Marietta is a city in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Ohio, United States. It is located in southeastern Ohio at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, northeast of Parkersburg, West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, Ma ...

. She moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

at age 13 to live with an aunt. Her mother taught her to play piano as a child. By age 18, Kitchings was living in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and performing in jazz clubs as a solo jazz pianist and with various bands. She sometimes used the stage name Irene Armstrong Edie. One band led by Kitchings included musicians

Budd Johnson Albert J. "Budd" Johnson III (December 14, 1910 – October 20, 1984) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who worked extensively with, among others, Ben Webster, Benny Goodman, Big Joe Turner, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke ...

, Walter Fuller, and Dolly Jones. Kitchings married jazz pianist

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...

around 1931. The couple moved to New York in 1934 where Wilson joined the Benny Goodman Trio. Kitchings ceased performing after moving to New York. Kitchings met and became friends with Billie Holiday after the two women were introduced by Wilson. After Kitchings divorced Wilson, Holiday introduced her to songwriter and composer,

Arthur Herzog, Jr Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

.. Together, Herzog and Kitchings wrote "Some Other Spring", a song that was first recorded by Holiday. Two of their other songs, "Ghost of Yesterday," and "I'm Pulling Through", were also recorded by Holiday. Kitchings, who suffered from Eale's Disease, fell ill and moved to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

to stay with an aunt. While in Cleveland, she met and married Elden Kitchings, learned to play the organ, and became active in her church.

Death and legacy

Kitchings died in 1975. Writer and historians often confuse Kitchings with Irene Higgenbotham, an African-American songwriter and pianist who also wrote songs performed by Billie Holiday. Jazz vocalist

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

credited Kitchings as a mentor.

References

External links

Some Other Spring, written by A. Herzog and I. Kitchings as performed by Billie Holiday
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchings, Irene African-American jazz composers African-American jazz musicians Women jazz pianists 1900s births 1975 deaths American jazz pianists American jazz composers African-American pianists 20th-century African-American people