Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Pha Terell was born Elmer Terrell on May 25, 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri. He began singing in local nightclubs in the early 1930s as a singer, dancer, and emcee. Discovered by Andy Kirk, he was hired as the vocalist for his group the Twelve Clouds of Joy. Terrell sang with Kirk for eight years, from 1933 to 1941, and recorded with him extensively for Decca Records.  One of the biggest hits was 1936’s “Until the Real Thing Comes Along”.

After 1941 Terrell moved to Indianapolis to play with Clarence Love’s territory band, then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a soloist. Jazz singer Pha Terrell passed away of kidney failure on October 14, 1945 in Los Angeles at age 35.

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