Description
TitleAlberta Hunter oral history interview
Date Created1976-12-17, 1976-12-23
NoteAlberta Hunter (1895-1984) was an African-American singer who made contributions to the genres of jazz, blues, and pop music, transitioning among the genres over the course of a career spanning decades. She began her career at the age of 12 in Chicago, singing in the bawdy houses there. She was married briefly but her longest relationship was with Lottie Taylor, niece of entertainer Bertie Williams. She moved from Chicago to New York and began recording under her name as well as under several pseudonyms, such as Alberta Prime and Josephine Beatty. She also used the name May Alix, the name of a fellow singer of the time. In 1923, she became the first African-American singer to be backed up by a white band, recording songs with the Original Memphis Five. She left the U.S to tour in Europe in 1927 and joined the USO in World War II, entertaining troops in Asia, the South Pacific, and Europe. She returned to the U.S. after the war to care for her ailing mother. After her mother's death in 1956, she left the music business to become a nurse.. She returned briefly to singing in 1961 to record an album with friends. Alberta retook the spotlight in 1977 at the age of 81, touring and producing four albums before her death in 1984.
Genreinterviews, oral histories
Languageeng
CollectionJazz Oral History Project
Organization NameRutgers University. Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University. Institute of Jazz Studies
RightsThe Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) promotes the use of its collections, and strives to protect the integrity of its materials. We offer digital reproductions of IJS materials subject to U.S. copyright law and other legal obligations.
NOTICE OF WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code) governs the reproduction of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not “to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
Materials viewed by patrons online or supplied to patrons online are reference copies. Our supply of copies does not constitute copyright permission for further uses and is not an authorization for any further uses involving reproduction, distribution, display, performance, or creation of derivative works, including their use in publications and web sites. It’s the patron’s responsibility to obtain permissions that may be required to use works for purposes other than private study, scholarship, or research, or in excess of fair use.
