Cain, Jackie (actually, Jacqueline Ruth)

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Cain, Jackie (actually, Jacqueline Ruth)

Cain, Jackie (actually, Jacqueline Ruth), jazz singer; b. Milwaukee, Wise, May 22, 1928. Her family moved to Chicago when she was a youngster; she began performing while still in high school, studying voice with Don Maya in 1947–48. Since 1947 she has worked in duet with pianist /vocalist Roy Krai (b. Chicago, III, Oct. 10, 1921), as Jackie and Roy. They first met while both were performing in George Davis’s group, and then worked with Charlie Ventura (1948–49). She married Krai in 1949; they then led their own small groups. Together, they have co-authored a number of popular songs, with Cain writing lyrics to Krai’s melodies.

—Lewis Porter