International Sweethearts of Rhythm: America’s #1 All-Girl Band

[Story]

Heard this coming home, their tales about touring Europe during WWII are pretty interesting:

http://www.riverwalkjazz.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home_template

International Sweethearts of Rhythm: America’s #1 All-Girl Band

In honor of National Women's History Month, a salute to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the first racially-integrated "all-girl" jazz band in the country. The Sweethearts played battle-of-the-bands concerts against jazz orchestras led by Fletcher Henderson and Earl Hines.

Photo: International Sweethearts Sax Section, Chicago, 1944, courtesy Roz Cron

 

[dhermann1]

International Sweethearts

A dear friend of mine, Dawn Hampton, played with the band when it was just called The Sweethearts of Rhythm, around 1951. She played alto sax, I believe, but she was really a vocalist. She came up in the Hampton Family Band, a territory band in the 30's (no relation to Lionel). They were based in Indiana, but they played all over the midwest. Her bog bro is Slide Hampton. She's almost 79 now, I believe, and still dances like a kid at the NY Swing Dance Society dances. A great lady.