Ivie Anderson

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Ivie Anderson (sometimes Ivy) (July 10, 1905 – December 28, 1949) was an American jazz singer. She was best-known for her performances with Duke Ellington's orchestra between 1931 and 1942.

She was born in Gilroy, California. With a sweet, clear singing voice, she was a popular attraction with Ellington's band. Her performance of "Stormy Weather" in the movie short Bundle of Blues (1933) was only eclipsed by the later and far better known version sung by Lena Horne in Horne's movie that was also entitled Stormy Weather (1943).

Over Ellington's long career as bandleader, his indifference toward vocalists changed with the hiring of Anderson, who was generally considered the best vocalist he ever employed.

She also appeared as a singer in the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races (1937) and the same year in Hit Parade of 1937 (as Ivy Anderson).

Other Ellington songs featuring Anderson include

• "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing) (Brunswick 6265) 2/2/32
• "Delta Bound" (Columbia 37298) 12/21/32 (not issued until the 1940's)
• "I've Got The World On A String" (UK Columbia CB-625) 2/15/33 (recorded in New York but only issued overseas)
• "Happy As The Day Is Long" (Brunswick 6571) 5/9/33
• "Raisin' The Rent" (Brunswick 6571) 5/9/33
• "Get Yourself A New Broom (And Sweep Your Blues Away)" (Brunswick 6607) 5/9/33
• "I'm Satisfied" (Brunswick 6638) 8/15/33
• "Ebony Rhapsody" (Victor 24622) 4/12/34
• "Troubled Waters" (Victor 24651) 5/9/34
• "My Old Flame" (Victor 24651) 5/9/34
• "Let's Have A Jubilee" (unissued on 78) 1/9/35
• "Cotton" (Brunswick 7525) 8/19/35
• "Truckin'" (Brunswick 7514) 8/19/35
• "Dinah Lou" (unissued on 78) 1/20/36
• "Isn't Love the Strangest Thing?" (Brunswick 7625) 2/27/36
• "Love Is Like A Cigarette" (Brunswick 7627) 2/28/36
• "Kissin' My Baby Goodnight" (Brunswick 7627) 2/28/36
• "Oh Babe! Maybe Someday" (Brunswick 7667) 2/28/36
• "Shoe-Shine Bow" (Brunswick 7710) 7/17/36
• "It Was A Sad Night In Harlem" (Brunswick 7710) 7/17/36
• "I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter" (Master MA-101) 3/25/37
• "My Honey's Lovin' Arms" (as THE GOTHAM STOMPERS) (Variety VA-629) 3/25/37
• "Did Anyone Ever Tell you?" (as THE GOTHAM STOMPERS) (Variety VA-541) 3/25/37
• "Where Are you?" (as THE GOTHAM STOMPERS) (Variety VA-541) 3/25/37
• "There's A Lull In My Life" (Master MA-117) 4/9/37
• "It's Swell Of You" (Master MA-117) 4/9/37
• "The Old Plantation" (as IVIE ANDERSON AND HER BOYS FROM DIXIE) (Variety VA-591) 4/9/37
• "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (as IVIE ANDERSON AND HER BOYS FROM DIXIE) (Variety VA-591) 6/8/37
• "Alabamy Home" (Master VA-137) 6/8/37
• "If You Were In My Place (What Would You Do?)" (Brunswick 8093) 2/24/38
• "Scrounch" (Brunswick 8093) 2/24/38
• "Carnival In Caroline" (Brunswick 8099) 3/3/38
• "Swingtime In Honolulu" (Brunswick 8131) 4/11/38
• "You Gave Me The Gate (And I'm Swingin')" (Brunswick 8169) 6/7/38
• "Rose Of Rio Grande" (Brunswick 8186) 6/7/38
• "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street" (Brunswick 8168) 6/7/38
• "Watermelon Man" (Brunswick 8200) 6/20/38
• "La Do Doody Do" (Brunswick 8174) 6/20/38
• "In A Mizz" (Brunswick 8405) 6/12/39
• "I'm Checkin' Out, Goo'm Bye" (Columbia 35208) 6/12/39
• "A Lonely Co-ed" (Columbia 35240) 6/12/39
• "You Can Count On Me" (Brunswick 8411) 6/12/39
• "Killing Myself" (Columbia 35640) 10/16/39
• "Your Love Has Faded" (Columbia 35640) 10/16/39
• "Solitude" (Columbia 35427) 2/14/40
• "Stormy Weather" (Columbia 35556) 2/14/40
• "Mood Indigo" (Columbia 35427) 2/14/40
• "So Far, So Good" (Victor 26537) 3/6/40
• "Me And You" (Victor 26598) 3/15/40
• "At A Dixie Roadside Diner" (Victor 26719) 7/22/40
• "Five O'Clock Whistle" (Victor 26748) 9/15/40
• "Chocolate Shake" (Victor 27531) 6/26/41
• "I Got it Bad And That Ain't Good" (victor 27531) 6/26/41
• "Rocks In My Bed" (Victor 27639) 9/26/41
• "I Don't Mind" (Victor 20-1598) 2/26/42
• "Hayfoot, Strawfoot" (Victor 20-1505) 7/28/42

(The Gotham Stompers session included members of Ellington's band plus members of Chick Webb's) ," "My Old Flame," "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street," "Mood Indigo," "Rocks in My Bed" and "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good."

She developed chronic asthma, which forced her to retire from touring in August 1942. She ran a chicken restaurant (Ivie's Chicken Shack) and continued singing in nightclubs on the West Coast, but deteriorating health limited her engagements and led to her untimely death.

Ivie Anderson died at age 44 in Los Angeles, California. She is interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.