Brooks, Hadda (1916–2002)

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Brooks, Hadda (1916–2002)

African-American singer and pianist. Born Hadda Hapgood, Oct 29, 1916, in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California; died Nov 21, 2002, in Los Angeles; m. Earl Morrison (played for Harlem Globetrotters), 1941 (died 1942).

Torch singer, known as Queen of the Boogie, trained as a classical pianist; began recording boogie-woogie instrumentals for Modern Records (1945), including her 1st hit, "Swingin' the Boogie"; had a number of hits, including "That's My Desire," "Don't Take Your Love from Me," "Trust in Me" and "Dream" (1940s–50s); on Channel 13 in Los Angeles, became the 1st black woman in the nation to host her own tv variety show, "The Hadda Brooks Show" (1951); also sang in several films; retired (1971); was rediscovered (1990s) and played in Johnny Depp's Viper Room, among others. Received Pioneer Award from Rhythm and Blues Foundation (1993).

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Brooks, Hadda (1916–2002)

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