American-born British jazz singer and entertainer, a jazz improviser whose wordless rhythms ushered in what became known as scat singing. She became the most celebrated black female performer in America in the 1920s. Her recording career spans 8 decades, from 1927 to 1991.

* 20 October 1901 in Brooklyn, New York, USA
† 7 November 1993 in London, England, UK