Ivie Marie Anderson (Gilroy, California, July 10, 1905 - Los Angeles, December 27, 1949) was an American jazz singer who became known as vocalist at Duke Ellington's orchestra.
She studied two years of singing in Washington, D.C. She then performed at several nightclubs in California and went on a tour with some shows. Until 1930, she traveled with some bands through the US and Australia. From 1930 to February 1931, they performed at a Chicago show ('Grand Terace Cafe'). Until 1931 she worked with pianist Earl Hines. Attending Duke Ellington took her as a singer, which she would stay from February 1931 to 1942.
She sang at Ellington's famous songs like "It's not mean a thing", "Stormy weather", "Rocks in my bed", "I got it bad (and that's not good)" and "In a mellow tone ". Her voice was "classy", bright, swinging, supple, sweet and a bit cool. Anderson is seen as the best vocalist Ellington ever had in his band. Nat Hentoff, in a column about Ivie Anderson: "Ivie was much more than a girl singer." She was a "sidewoman."
In 1937, Anderson performed as a singer in the Marx Brothers movie 'A day at the races'. Also, she was seen in 'Hit Parade of 1937'.
She had to give up her job to Ellington because she had chronic asthma. She started a restaurant in Los Angeles ("Ivie's Chicken Shack") and sang something in nightclubs. In 1946 she took eight songs. Her health deteriorated, and Anderson eventually died at the age of 44. She was buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. Externe link
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