Juanita Stinnette Chappelle (June 3, 1899 – June 4, 1932) was a singer and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

performer, as well as co-founder of

Chappelle and Stinnette Records Chappelle and Stinnette Records, sometimes known as C&S Records was a small independent United States record label founded in New York City around 1921. According to the label, Chappelle and Stinnette Records were manufactured "by C.& S. Phonograp ...

during the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...

era. Their record label was founded around 1921 and is considered one of the earliest labels owned and operated by African Americans. They produced 6 records, five of which they performed on. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Carey Street School. She was a member of the chorus of Whitney and Tutt's Smart Set Company in 1917. Thomas Chapelle saw her and recognized her potential as a dancing partner. They rehearsed for several days and were immediately a success when they began performing. They eventually married. In 1927, she sang at the funeral of friend

Florence Mills Florence Mills (born Florence Winfrey; January 25, 1896 – November 1, 1927), billed as the "Queen of Happiness", was an American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian. Life and career Florence Mills (Florence Winfrey) was born a daughter of for ...

. Chapelle was singing her own composition when she collapsed and had to be carried from the church. Her last Broadway show was Sugar Hill.

References

1899 births 1932 deaths 20th-century American singers {{US-singer-stub American women record producers