Lurlean Hunter

Lurlean Hunter (December 1, 1919 – March 11, 1983)[1] was an American contralto singer.[2]

Lurlean Hunter
Birth nameLurleane Hunter
Born(1919-12-01)December 1, 1919
Clarksdale, Mississippi
DiedMarch 11, 1983(1983-03-11) (aged 63)
Kalamazoo, Michigan
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Singer

Early years

Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Hunter was taken to Chicago when she was two months old. She attended Englewood High School in Chicago.[3]

Career

Hunter's first paid singing performance came when she appeared with Red Saunders and his orchestra at Club DeLisa on Chicago's South Side.[3] She was signed by Discovery Records in 1950.[4]

In 1951, Hunter was a featured performer with George Shearing and his quintet at Birdland in New York City.[5] Later that year, she was among a group of "rising young stars of jazz" presented at the Streamliner night club in Chicago.[6] Other Chicago venues at which she performed included the Club Silhouette and the Cloister Inn, where an initial four-week booking turned into a 2.5-year stay.[7] Her work in other cities included singing at the Jazz Villa in St. Louis, the Roosevelt Hotel in New York,[3] and the Circus Lounge in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.[8]

In 1961, Hunter began recording for Atlantic, with "Blue and Sentimental" as her first album for that label.[9] She also recorded for RCA Victor.[3]

In 1963, Hunter became the first African-American performer hired by WBBM radio in Chicago. After a successful on-air audition, she became a member of the staff of the all-live Music Wagon Show.[10] On August 2, 1968, National Educational Television jazz broadcast featured Hunter, accompanied by the Vernel Fournier Trio, performing "ballads and blues, old and new".[11]

Hunter made commercials for products such as peas and telephone directories.[3]

"Lonesome Gal" court case

In 1958, Hunter sued RCA Record Division after it used her image and her name on the cover of its "Lonesome Gal" record album[12] (LPM-1151, 1956).[13] The suit in United States District Court, Southern District of California, alleged "unfair competition, infringement of trade name, unfair business practices, unjust enrichment and invasion of the right of privacy."[12] The court acknowledged that the album contained the song "Lonesome Gal", and that the use of one song's title for an album's title was common practice in the recording industry. However, it ruled in Hunter's favor on the basis that she was the first person to "adopt and establish the name Lonesome Gal as a personality" and that name was exclusively associated with her.[12] Damages of $22,500 were awarded to Hunter, and the company was ordered to destroy all material containing Hunter's likeness in conjunction with "Lonesome Gal".[12]

Personal life

On December 7, 1952, Hunter married Charles Taylor, a shoe salesman.[14] She later married Greg Tischler, who also was her manager.[3]

References
  1. "Covert Twp. Official Dies At Age 63". The Herald-Palladium. Paxton Media Group. March 12, 1983. p. 12. Retrieved March 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Lewis and Hunter Swing Like Long-Lost Friends". The Minneapolis Star. Minnesota, Minneapolis. July 6, 1960. p. 39. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Hough, Hugh (June 18, 1963). "Lurlean Hunter, Rising Star as Jazz Singer". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. p. 3 D. Retrieved 10 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Rhythm & Blues Notes" (PDF). Billboard. December 2, 1950. p. 26. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  5. "Shearing Back". Daily News. New York, New York City. June 28, 1951. p. 45. Retrieved 17 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Rising Star". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. November 4, 1951. p. Part 7, p 4. Retrieved 17 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Shining Stars". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. December 22, 1956. p. 12. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Lurlean Hunter To Give Concert At Fisher Park". The Ottawa Journal. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. December 6, 1956. p. 27. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Lurlean Hunter Weds Jazz and Pops". HiFi/Stereo Review. 6 (4). April 1961. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  10. "WBBM Signs Lurlean Hunter to Live Show". Billboard. August 3, 1963. p. 39. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  11. "TV Key Previews". The News. New Jersey, Paterson. August 2, 1968. p. 15. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Los Angeles Copyright Society (1964). Copyright and Related Topcs. University of California Press. p. 298. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. "Lurlean Hunter, A New Star". Ford Lauderdale News. Florida, Fort Lauderdale. February 5, 1956. p. 9-C. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Mr. & Mrs". Jet. III (13): 43. January 22, 1953. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
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