| Una Mae Carlisle | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Date: | 1915 12, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Zanesville, Ohio, United States |
| Death Place: | Harlem, New York, United States |
| Instrument: | Vocals, piano |
| Genre: | Jazz, swing, stride |
| Occupation: | Singer, pianist, composer |
Una Mae Carlisle (December 26, 1915 – November 7, 1956)[1] was an American jazz singer, pianist, and songwriter.
Carlisle was born in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of Mellie and Edward Carlisle.[2] [3] [4] [5] She was of African and Native American descent.[6] Trained to play piano by her mother, she was performing in public by age three.
Still a child, she performed regularly on radio station WHIO (AM) in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1932, while she was still in her teens, Fats Waller discovered Carlisle while she worked as a local Cincinnati, Ohio, performer live and on radio.[7] Her piano style was very much influenced by Waller's; she played in a boogie-woogie/stride style and incorporated humor into her sets.
She played solo from 1937, touring Europe repeatedly and recording with Waller late in the 1930s.[7]
In the 1940s, Carlisle recorded as a leader for Bluebird Records, with sidemen such as Lester Young, Benny Carter, and John Kirby.[7] She had a longtime partnership with producer/publisher/manager Joe Davis, which began after her contract with Bluebird expired. Her records under Davis included performances from Ray Nance, Budd Johnson, and Shadow Wilson.
She also saw success as a songwriter. Her 1941 song "Walkin' By The River" made her "the first black woman to have a composition appear on a Billboard chart". Cab Calloway and Peggy Lee were among those who covered her tunes. She had her own radio show, The Una Mae Carlisle Radio Show on WJZ-ABC, making her the "first black American to host a national radio show"; and television programs in the 1940s.
Carlisle was married to Johnnie Bradford, a former merchant marine. They married in September 11, 1941. Bradford was the owner of Gee-Haw Stables, a jazz venue in Harlem.
Carlisle suffered from chronic mastoiditis, requiring repeated surgeries and hospitalizations.[8]
Partial list of phonograph recordings:[9]
Compilations: