238:, braids, backwoods clothes and a basket to evoke memories of the rural south. She would appear uncouth by staring blankly and picking her nose. When her act started she would move into the latest dances and songs sung with a deep feeling coming from bitter experience. This appeal to rural migrants was used by other artists of that era such as
272:"1943, I was about 19 years old; I went to a nightclub in the northeast black district of Washington DC and heard a singer named Little Miss Cornshucks and thought: 'Oh God!' She was better than anything I had heard so far. She came across like a country girl, provided with a headscarf and a basket in her hand and so on; but she could sing the
311:
label and she enjoyed some success in the
Detroit area based at the Frolics Bar. Performances in New York and Washington followed. During one of these tours she met the dancer Henry "Henny" Ramsey, who became her lover and with whom she spent several years on tour while her children stayed with her
227:. She was the youngest child of a large musical family of African-American origin. Mildred began to sing with her sisters, as the Cummings Sisters, performing spirituals in the Dayton area. By the time she was seven, she was making solo appearances in young people's amateur talent shows.
436:
Chicago, October 1946: "For Old Time's Sake", "I Do not Love You Any More", "When Mommy Sings a
Lullaby"; Sunbeam; Marl Young Orchestra with Marl Young (p, dir, arr); Melvin Moore (tp); Nick Cooper (tp); Nat Jones (as); Frank Derrick (as); Moses Gant (ts); Wilson Rail (B); Oliver Coleman
299:
For health reasons, Miss
Cornshucks had to interrupt her career in the mid-1940s. She returned to Ohio and there she finally separated from her husband Cornelius, who was involved in the drug trade. She then returned to her native
462:
Los
Angeles, August 12, 1949: "Waiting in Vain", "(Now That I'm Free) You Turned Your Back on Me", "Keep You Hand on Your Heart", "Time After Time"; Aladdin. Little Miss Cornshucks and Her All-Stars; Maxwell Davis
280:' and a few other blues numbers and the song 'So Long'. She had such a wonderful sound and I remember how I always thought, 'Oh my God, and I have no record company; I can make the drive just for myself.
331:
in down-town Los
Angeles. This was a converted former cinema. She was billed as "the new look in comedy" and "a rustic comedienne". Her comedic talent gave her a small film role in
187:
and songwriter. In her stage show from the 1940s and early 1950s she portrayed herself as a simple farm girl. Her vocal style inspired later R&B and soul singers, among them
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In 1940, Cummings married
Cornelius Jorman, with whom she had three children. Her husband worked as her manager and accompanied her at her performances.
805:
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Chicago, September 1946: "So Long", "Gonna Leave Here Walkin'" (Cummins), "Have You Ever Loved
Somebody"; Sunbeam; Little Miss Cornshucks with
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383:, The Blenders, and The Sensations. The 1950s saw her return to Chicago and she continued to sing in the clubs there while living in
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family in Dayton. Ramsey and
Cornshucks lived together for a while in Los Angeles, where she appeared in the clubs of
242:
who sang as ''Little Miss
Sharecropper''. In US and Canadian English a cornshuck is the husk of an ear of maize.
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better than anyone I've heard to date. That night I asked her if I could record a record with her. We then played '
355:. In 1948, she performed alongside Dizzy Gillespie at the fourth famed annual Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at
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She developed a stage wardrobe that appealed to black southern agricultural workers who at that time were
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470:", "Do Not Marry Too Soon", "Cause I Lost My Helping Hand"; Coral; Lil' Miss Cornshucks with Orchestra:
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Los
Angeles May 1948: "Cornshuck's Blues", "In the Rain"; Miltone/DeLuxe; Little Miss Cornshucks with
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Chicago, 1961: "No Teasing Around", "It Do Me So Good"; Chess; Studio band (p, g, b, dr), strings
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who worked at the club recognised her talent and signed her under contract to the then famous
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669:"Big Road Blues Show 4/11/10: I Got What My Daddy Likes – Forgotten Blues Ladies Pt. 2"
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to the US northern industrial cities. Her stage show was performed barefoot, with a
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Los Angeles May 1948: "He's Funny That Way", Miltone; Little Miss Cornshucks with
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183:; May 26, 1923 – November 11, 1999). She was an American rhythm and blues and
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292:" became her signature tune and a regional hit in 1943 for the short-lived
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Los Angeles, 1951: "Papa Tree Top Blues", "So Long", "Rock Me to Sleep", "
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418:
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In late 1960 she came out of semi retirement to record an LP for the
824:"Try A Little Tenderness: The Lost Legacy of Little Miss Cornshucks
273:
215:. Her own career never achieved full recognition in her lifetime.
109:
268:, heard her sing in Washington, D.C., and wrote in his memoirs:
830:'s love letter to the best blues singer you've never heard on
541:, Issue No. 47 September–October 2003. No Depression Archives.
351:
in California under the direction of saxophonist and producer
248:
By 1942 she was a star in the Chicago area, performing at the
347:. In May 1948, she recorded new songs for the small label
406:
who recorded a single of the LP's soul-style version of "
417:, Indiana, in November 1999, aged 76, after a series of
754:"Little Miss Cornshucks – The Loneliest Gal In Town"
682:
What'd I Say: The Atlantic Story – 50 Years of music
648:
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged
597:
Godden, Salena (Summer 2014). "The writer outside".
452:
Los Angeles May 1948: "True (You Do not Love Me)", "
565:, Issue No. 45, May–June 2003. Depression Archives.
456:", Teardrops, Miltone, Little Miss Cornshucks with
363:on September 12. Also on the program that day were
307:Her Sunbeam recordings were now republished on the
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740:"Stars Galore to Swing and Sing At Wrigley Park",
506:. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 81.
786:"Little Miss Cornshucks Try A Little Tenderness"
304:and became increasingly dependent on alcohol.
806:"Little Miss Cornshucks 1947–1951 (Classics)"
528:"Little Miss Cornshucks 1947–1951 (Classics)"
8:
577:
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848:20th-century African-American women singers
767:"Little Miss Cornshucks – A soul forgotten"
614:Blue Rhythms: Six lives in rhythm and blues
552:"Little Miss Cornshucks – A soul forgotten"
726:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
29:
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826:. A visual and musical accompaniment to
819:, This is My Story. BlackCat Rockabilly.
592:
590:
584:, This is My Story. BlackCat Rockabilly.
812:, Issue No. 47, September–October 2003.
684:, Welcome Rain Publishers, 2001, p. 15.
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402:Success eluded her and went instead to
719:
617:, University of Illinois Press, 1996
502:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
359:in Los Angeles which was produced by
260:. A year later, the future owner of
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582:Dave Penny, "Little Miss Cornshucks"
478:, Que Martyn, Charles Waller (sax),
858:20th-century American women singers
413:Mildred Jorman died at her home in
14:
918:20th-century American songwriters
696:Los Angeles's Central Avenue jazz
448:Calvin Jackson & The Blenders
458:Maxwell Davis & The Blenders
442:Maxwell Davis & The Blenders
252:. The band leader and arranger
698:. Charleston, South Carolina.
1:
853:20th-century American singers
504:Blues – A Regional Experience
873:African-American songwriters
327:In 1948 she appeared at the
903:Musicians from Dayton, Ohio
888:American women jazz singers
694:O'Connell, Sean J. (2014).
650:. The Free Dictionary. 1991
16:American singer (1923–1999)
934:
893:American women songwriters
772:December 19, 2013, at the
557:December 19, 2013, at the
410:", and had a hit with it.
400:The Loneliest Gal in Town.
181:Mildred Elizabeth Cummings
51:Mildred Elizabeth Cummings
790:The Loneliest Gal in Town
369:The Sweethearts of Rhythm
335:, a 1947 B-movie made by
28:
898:Jazz musicians from Ohio
817:"Little Miss Cornshucks"
232:migrating from the south
175:) was the stage name of
100:, Indiana, United States
468:Try A Little Tenderness
408:Try A Little Tenderness
35:Publicity photo, c1940s
878:American blues singers
776:, May–June 2003, p. 7.
432:Marl Young's Orchestra
329:Million Dollar Theater
286:
169:Little Miss Cornshucks
41:Background information
23:Little Miss Cornshucks
913:Songwriters from Ohio
883:American jazz singers
533:May 18, 2014, at the
482:(p) Billy Hadnott (b)
270:
223:Cummings was born in
744:, September 2, 1948.
742:The California Eagle
173:Lil' Miss Cornshucks
63:Lil' Miss Cornshucks
788:(from the Chess LP
563:The Long Way Around
394:label, produced by
339:, and produced by
108:Rhythm and blues,
908:Singers from Ohio
671:, Big Road Blues.
631:978-0-252-02203-6
425:Recording history
381:Jimmy Witherspoon
373:The Honeydrippers
337:Monogram Pictures
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91:November 11, 1999
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526:Rich Kienzle,
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454:Why Was I Born
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318:Last Word Room
316:, such as the
314:Central Avenue
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165:Musical artist
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832:BBC Radio 4"
815:Dave Penny,
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652:. Retrieved
647:
644:"corn shuck"
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476:Bumps Meyers
472:Benny Carter
415:Indianapolis
412:
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345:Charlie Chan
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302:Indianapolis
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287:
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247:
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240:LaVern Baker
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225:Dayton, Ohio
222:
213:Billy Wright
201:Otis Redding
189:LaVern Baker
180:
176:
172:
168:
167:
137:c.1930–1960s
133:Years active
98:Indianapolis
93:(1999-11-11)
81:Dayton, Ohio
78:May 26, 1923
868:1999 deaths
863:1923 births
834:, May 2014.
792:), YouTube.
398:, entitled
322:Club Alabam
278:Kansas City
258:Club DeLisa
209:Wynona Carr
185:jazz singer
842:Categories
756:, Discogs.
599:The Author
490:References
480:Eddie Beal
377:Joe Turner
254:Marl Young
193:Ruth Brown
124:Instrument
116:Occupation
74:1923-05-26
47:Birth name
722:cite book
714:866922945
236:straw hat
205:Sam Cooke
770:Archived
555:Archived
531:Archived
765:Mazor,
654:May 18,
419:strokes
385:Kenosha
349:Miltone
296:label.
294:Sunbeam
290:So Long
150:Aladdin
146:Sunbeam
712:
702:
629:
621:
510:
179:(born
142:Labels
127:Vocals
119:Singer
105:Genres
601:: 63.
392:Chess
274:blues
158:Chess
154:Coral
728:link
710:OCLC
700:ISBN
656:2014
627:ISBN
619:ISBN
508:ISBN
463:(ts)
437:(d).
343:and
320:and
219:Life
211:and
171:(or
110:jazz
88:Died
68:Born
844::
724:}}
720:{{
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