Mildred Bailey

Mildred Bailey was one of the best of the early jazz singers and she brought a low-key, but swinging, naturalness to the overly mannered vocal style of the 1920s. Bailey found fame with the public during a stint with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, but made her finest music with her forward-thinking husband, cutting-edge xylophonist Red Norvo -- together they were known as Mr. And Mrs. Swing. Norvo crafted arrangements for her that won the respect of Duke Ellington and singers such as Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme. After she parted with Norvo on friendly terms, Bailey went solo and even had her own radio series. She continued to sing even after being stricken with tuberculosis, before passing away in 1951.