Jewel Brown
Encyclopedia
Jewel Brown is a jazz
singer. She had a storied career in the 1950s and the 1960s. Before a retirement period she was part of Louis Armstrong
's ensemble. She is currently part of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band.
Brown was born on August 30, 1937 in Houston, Texas
. Her first professional performance was at the age of 12 in the Manhattan Club in Galveston, Texas
. Before she graduated from high school Lionel Hampton
offered the opportunity to tour professionally in Europe. She graduated from Jack Yates High School.
, she sat in organist
Earl Grant
at the Club Pigalle. Grant hired her that night and she continued performing with him for a year. She went on to work for Dallas, Texas
nightclub owner Jack Ruby
.
In the next decade she was offered singing positions with Duke Ellington
and Louis Armstrong
. She chose Armstrong. She appeared with Armstrong in the films, “Louis Armstrong and All Stars” and "Solo."
She retired in 1971 to care for ailing members of her family. She established a successful hair salon in Houston. In recent years she has revived her career, singing in the Heritage Hall Jazz Band.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer. She had a storied career in the 1950s and the 1960s. Before a retirement period she was part of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
's ensemble. She is currently part of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band.
Brown was born on August 30, 1937 in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Her first professional performance was at the age of 12 in the Manhattan Club in Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
. Before she graduated from high school Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
offered the opportunity to tour professionally in Europe. She graduated from Jack Yates High School.
Professional years
In 1957, on a vacation to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, she sat in organist
Electric organ
In biology, the electric organ is an organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field. The electric organ is derived from modified nerve or muscle tissue...
Earl Grant
Earl Grant
Earl Grant was an American easy listening pianist, Hammond organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s.-Career:...
at the Club Pigalle. Grant hired her that night and she continued performing with him for a year. She went on to work for Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
nightclub owner Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby
Jacob Leon Rubenstein , who legally changed his name to Jack Leon Ruby in 1947, was convicted of the November 24, 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby, who was originally from Chicago, Illinois, was then a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas...
.
In the next decade she was offered singing positions with Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. She chose Armstrong. She appeared with Armstrong in the films, “Louis Armstrong and All Stars” and "Solo."
She retired in 1971 to care for ailing members of her family. She established a successful hair salon in Houston. In recent years she has revived her career, singing in the Heritage Hall Jazz Band.