Mildred Rinker Bailey, born February 27, 1907 was an American jazz singer of the swing era. She was popular in the 1930s and had several number one hits. She was the first Native American woman to achieve success in jazz.
Mildred Bailey began her career as a teenager: she sang and played piano at silent movies in movie theaters. After the breakdown of her marriage to Ted Bailey, she retained his last name. With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she became a successful jazz and blues singer on the American West Coast. In 1929 she was hired by bandleader Paul Whiteman and became the first female singer in a jazz band. She debuted on Whiteman's popular radio show with "Moaning Low" and had immediate success.
Bailey made her first recording in 1929, with guitarist Eddie Lang's band. In 1932 she had her first hit with "Georgia on My Mind" , written by Hoagy Carmichael. In 1932 she recorded "Rockin' Chair" for the first time, which was also a composition by Carmichael. It became her recognition song: she was also called the "Rockin' Chair Lady".
In the second half of the 1930s, she had a group with Red Norvo. The band performed at CBS radio, where the couple was announced as Mr. and Mrs. Swing. With the group she made records for Vocalion and others, but she was also in the studio with members of Count Basie's band. In 1938, she topped the American charts twice: with "Please Be Kind" and "Says My Heart," both songs with Norvo. After her divorce from Norvo, she would continue to make records with him. In 1940, she reached number one with "Darn That Dream," featuring Benny Goodman's orchestra.
In 1951, she had to cancel a tour and be hospitalized, where she died of heart failure.