Daily Dose Of Jazz…

June Richmond was born July 9, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. She became one of the very first black singers to be featured regularly with a white band when she performed with Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra in 1938.

An enthusiastic vocalist who was excellent on blues but also effective on ballads, June was a popular attraction during the swing era although never a major name. She worked with Les Hite early on in California, toured with Jimmy Dorsey, was with Cab Calloway in 1938 and then became best known for her association with Andy Kirk’s Orchestra during 1939-42.

Richmond became a solo act after leaving Kirk and then from 1948 on mostly worked in Europe, at first based in France and then later on in Scandinavia. Her only recordings as a leader were a self-titled album on the Barclay label, four numbers in 1951 with Svend Asmussen and four songs on the album “Jazz In Paris” with the Quincy Jones Orchestra in 1957.

Vocalist June Richmond, who gained fame during the swing era, died of a heart attack at the age of 47 on August 14, 1962 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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