Hidden Figures: Lovie Austin

She was born Cora Taylor in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lovie grew up with eight brothers and sisters. She took the name Cora Calhoun in her teens from an early marriage; she was married for a short time to a movie house operator in Detroit and then later married a vaudeville performer, Phillip Austin. She studied music theory at Roger Williams University and Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee which was uncommon for African American woman and jazz musicians alike during the time. In 1923, Lovie Austin decided to make Chicago her home, and she lived and worked there for the rest of her life. She led her own band, the Blues Serenaders. Austin was also a session musician for Paramount Records. Austin and the Blues Serenaders recorded with Paramount Records during their temporary shift from New York to Chicago in 1923. When the classic blues craze began to wane in the early 1930s, Austin settled into the position of musical director for the Monogram Theater, at 3453 South State Street in Chicago where all the T.O.B.A. acts played. She worked there for 20 years. She retired in 1962. Austin died on July 8, 1972 in Chicago. #LovieAustin #HiddenFigures ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr:   / sensei-aishitemasu   Tumblr for my work:   / sssseren   Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon:   / seren_sensei   ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Con... Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Lovie Austin - Traveling Blues (YouTube):    • Video   Lovie Austin and her Serenaders Don't Shake It No More (1925):    • Lovie Austin and her Serenaders Don't Shak...   Lovie Austin - Jackass Blues:    • Video   Love Austin: https://www.village.grafton.wi.us/Doc... Love Austin (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovie_A... Love Austin: http://www.redhotjazz.com/austin.html