Jean Starr was an actress, dancer, and trumpeter who became a Chicago society figure after marrying Chicago

numbers racket The numbers game, also known as the numbers racket, the Italian lottery, Mafia lottery or the daily number, is a form of illegal gambling or illegal lottery played mostly in poor and working class neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a be ...

tycoon and Jones brothers, McKissack "Mack" McHenry Jones, and becoming Jean Starr Jones. Starr was from Columbus, Ohio. She appeared in the theatrical productions ''Raisin' Cain'' (1923) and ''

Lucky Sambo ''Lucky Sambo'' was a 1925 musical comedy staged on Broadway. It originally toured as ''Aces and Queens'' in 1923 and 1924. It was by Porter Grainger and Freddy Johnson. It played at the Colonial Theatre (New York City). Time magazine described it ...

'' (1925). She married McKissack "Mack" McHenry Jones, part of the prosperous Chicago African American Jones family that was involved in the "policy"

numbers game The numbers game, also known as the numbers racket, the Italian lottery, Mafia lottery or the daily number, is a form of illegal gambling or illegal lottery played mostly in poor and working class neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a be ...

racket before

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

and white mafia figures completed a violent takeover. After her husband's death in a car accident, she developed their vacation home into the Double J Ranch (referred to as the Pink Mansion) in Constantine Township, Michigan. The resort was popular with African Americans and also had high profile visitors. The area is now part of Three Rivers State Wildlife Management Area. She remained close with the Jones family and was the subject of society page notices in African American magazines. She is recorded on the album ''Jazz Women: A Feminist Retrospective'' on the song "Moonlight On Turham Bay" with L'Ana Hyams and other female performers. She was also recorded as part of 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 incl ...

, a group she joined in 1940, including on the song "Tuxedo Junction". She also performed with the

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, Mis ...

Band and played with the

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Orchestra. In her later years, she was part of

Eddie Durham's All-Star Girl Orchestra Eddie Durham's All-Star Girl Orchestra was an African-American all-female band started by arranger Eddie Durham 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- ...

. She led the Bronzeville socialite group the Royalites. She was expected to marry Clarence H. Cobbs of the First Church of Deliverance.

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

was her sister-in-law.

Discography

*"Seven Riffs with the Right Woman", All Women Groups Women in Jazz : All Women Groups Volume 1 *"Radio Papa", 1929

Okeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

*"Don't Get it Twisted" *"Find Out What They Like (And How They Like It)" (1929), duet with Johnny Lee, Okeh Records *"Tuxedo Junction" with the

References

External links

International Sweethearts of Rhythm Collection Spotlight, Because of Her Story, Smithsonian Institution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Starr, Jean Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Musicians from Columbus, Ohio Actresses from Columbus, Ohio International Sweethearts of Rhythm members African-American actresses American women jazz musicians American jazz trumpeters Okeh Records artists Women trumpeters African-American women musicians 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women

Discography

Further reading

References

External links