Jane Green (born Martha Jane Greene, January 2, 1897 – August 28, 1931)
was an American actress and
singer who was popular in the 1920s.
Biography
Jane Green was born in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
on January 2, 1897, as Martha Jane Greene, the only daughter to Charles Frederick Greene Sr. and Lucinda Belle Willis. She had four older brothers, and was part
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
.
Her parents divorced in 1905, and Willis and her five children relocated to Los Angeles. In 1911, Jane and her brother Fred became known as "Those Kentucky Kids" and entertained people on Spring Street in Los Angeles.
During her career, she recorded over 30
phonograph records
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove ...
, and appeared in several early sound
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s.
In 1916, she met songwriter Jimmy Byler. They performed together and were signed by
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...
for ''9 O'Clock Review'' and ''Midnight Frolic''. Green and Byler were married on September 30, 1918, and remained together until Byler's death in 1924.
During the 1920s, Green began her recording career and also appeared on
Broadway.
[The Jazz Age (www.jazzage1920s.com)] Her Broadway credits include ''Ziegfeld Nine O'Clock Review'' (1919), ''Greenwich Village Follies'' (1925), and ''Nifties of 1923'' (1923).
Jane traveled to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1925 and performed at the Piccadilly Hotel and The Kit Kat Club. In 1927 she married pianist Ron Wilson. The following year she appeared in multiple film shorts in which Wilson accompanied her.
Green sang on the ''
Blue Monday Jamboree'' on
KFRC in San Francisco, California.
In 1930, Green became a
Christian Scientist. She died on August 28, 1931, obituaries note the cause being a paralytic
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
. Her body was cremated.
[
]
Notes
External links
The Jazz Age: Jane Green Jane Green songs collection
available for downloading at Archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
1897 births
1931 deaths
American women pop singers
20th-century American women singers
20th-century American singers
{{US-pop-singer-stub