Betty Roché
Betty Roché | |
|---|---|
 Betty Roché performing with Duke Ellington, April 1943 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Elizabeth Roach |
| Born | January 9, 1918 Wilmington, Delaware, United States |
| Origin | New York City |
| Died | February 16, 1999 (aged 81) Pleasantville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singing |
| Years active | 1939–1960s |
| Labels | Prestige, Bethlehem |
Mary Elizabeth Roché (January 9, 1918 – February 16, 1999)[1] was an American blues and jazz singer. Though she had a sporadic career, she became best known for her version of "Take the 'A' Train" with Duke Ellington, and, according to AllMusic, "was famous for her strong, dramatic way of putting across blues material".[2]
Biography
Roché was born in
AFM recording ban meant that she could not make a recording of it at the time. She also sang in Ellington's performance of his "Black, Brown and Beige" suite at Carnegie Hall, but again no recordings were made at the time, and by the time Ellington was able to record it in 1944, Roché had left the band.[2][3][4]
She also sang with
San Diego, California, she worked occasionally in clubs and with Charles Brown and Clark Terry. In the mid-1950s, she was part of the cast recording of The Complete Porgy and Bess.[2] She recorded three albums as leader, Take the "A" Train for Bethlehem) in 1956, and for Prestige Records in 1960 Singin' & Swingin' and Lightly and Politely the following year, but was unwilling to maintain a full-time career in music.[3]
Roché died in Pleasantville, New Jersey in February 1999, aged 81.[1][3]
Discography
- Take the "A" Train (Bethlehem, 1956)
- Singin' & Swingin' (Prestige, 1960)
- Lightly and Politely (Prestige, 1961)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c d Biography by Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 November 2016
- ^ a b c d e Voce, Steve (23 March 1999). "Obituary: Betty Roche". The Independent. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ a b c Ratliff, Ben (March 1, 1999). "Betty Roche, Singer of Blues And Be-Bop, 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
External links
- Betty Roché page in Fuller Up, The Dead Musicians Directory
- Betty Roché: 1920-1999
- New York Times obituary
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