|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCOX, Ida(b Ida Prather, 25 Feb. 1896, Toccoa GA; d 10 Nov. '67, Knoxville TN) Blues singer. (Some sources indicate birthdate c1889.) Sang in church as a child, ran away from home, toured with minstrel shows; worked with Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver in '20s, recorded from '23. A good businesswoman, she toured with own revues from '29 into '40s, said to have been the best such shows on the road, her style infl. by vaudeville as well as rural blues. She had not recorded since '29 when she came back Oct. '39, said to have recorded with a Benny Goodman quintet for the World Transcription Service; these tracks are presumed lost, but at the end of the month she recorded with a Hot Lips Page All-Star septet on Vocalion incl. Charlie Christian playing acoustic guitar, and in late '40 with a similar Red Allen band on OKeh, some of this once reissued on a Queen-Disc LP. She sang in John Hammond's Spirituals to Swing concert '39; suffered stroke '44, lived with daughter in Knoxville, but recorded with Coleman Hawkins '61: amazingly, only the reissue of that on Fantasy is listed in the catalogues '96, compilations of older stuff on Milestone and Fountain LPs out of print. |