| It's my top point of my life.He had conquered every branch of show business, from Harlem to Hollywood, so, toward the end of his memorable career which lasted more than 65 years, I asked Cab what the continuing attraction to performing was.When I go to entertain people, boom, that's it!That's all there is to that.Perhaps we should have expected something special, since he was born on Christmas night, December 25, 1907, in Rochester, New York.The second of six children of Cabell and Martha Calloway, he was named Cabell III, after his father and grandfather.My family was a middle, class family.And best of all, I found out that I could get paid for entertaining.Calloway's older sister, Blanche, was a singer and his idol.From there, he worked in some clubs, among them the Sunset Cafe, gradually building up a reputation as a good singer, and a reliable and likeable emcee.Join the Official Cab Calloway mailing list!Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s.Calloway's Orchestra featured performers that included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton.Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918, on Sycamore Street.His parents recognized their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922.He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling.After graduating from high school Cab joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself would become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and Cab would often credit his inspiration to enter show business to her).Cab attended Lincoln University, PA , and left in 1930 without graduating.His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College.The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring.There is some speculation that Mafia pressure was responsible for Cab's hiring.Ellington's, and Cab and his group began touring nationwide when not playing the Cotton Club.Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre.As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network color barrier.Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest.In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher".James Infirmary Blues", and "The Old Man Of The Mountain" were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White and The Old Man of the Mountain, respectively.Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well.Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention.As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man."Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather.In 1941 Cab Calloway fired Dizzy Gillespie from his Orchestra after an onstage fracas erupted when Calloway was hit with spitballs.In 1944, The New Cab Calloway's Hepsters Dictionary: Language of Jive was published, an update of an earlier book in which Cab set about translating jive for fans who might not know, for example, that "kicking the gong around" was a reference to smoking opium.In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilized both his acting and singing talents.This was a major success and led to a cast recording released by RCA.Of Minnie The Moocher And Me (Crowell).It included his complete Hepsters Dictionary as an appendix.Headed Monster on Sesame Street.This was also the year cult movie Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan.Calloway helped establish the Cab Calloway Museum at Coppin State College (Baltimore, Maryland) in the 1980s and Bill Cosby helped establish a scholarship in Cab Calloway's name at the New School of Social Research New York City.In 1994, a creative and performing arts school Cab Calloway School of the Arts was dedicated in his name in Wilmington, Delaware.In the United Kingdom he also appeared in several commercials for the Hula Hoops snack, both as himself and as a voice for a cartoon (in one of these commercials he sang his hit "Minnie The Moocher").In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C.Cab Calloway's legacy on the national and international levels.The Pajama Game (1973)
Bubbling Brown Sugar (1976)
Uptown...Ho (1934) musical short
Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party (1935) musical short
The Singing Kid (1936)
Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (cartoon using previous material)
Stormy Weather (1943)
Sensations of 1945 (1945)
Hi De Ho (1947)
St.The Official Cab Calloway website
Cab Calloway Photos from Stormy Weather, 1943
Cab Calloway complete discography
The Official Homepage of The Cab Calloway Orchestra, directed by Christopher Brooks
The Hi de Ho Blog, French website dedicated to Cab, his musicians and the Swing era
Jazz, the Rough Guide by Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather and Brian Priestly; Penguin Books, 1995; pp.This page was last modified 12:16, 30 December 2007.See Copyrights for details.The world famous Cab Calloway Orchestra welcomes you to its official internet home.The Cannery Casino this November.Next time the Cab Calloway Orchestra comes to Seattle don't miss it!Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference in NY.PORI JAZZ FESTIVAL July 2006, Pori Finland.Associated Black Charities June 10th 2006.Hall features Calloway Orchestra.MP3 of the ad composed and arranged by C.You're not the only one who loves us!And the enterprise appears to be in good hands with C.Calloway's grandson and current bandleader C.Crosby, Ann Margaret, Edward G.Robinson, Mickey Rooney and even Bela Lugosi.Estate, and by the Cab Calloway Orchestra.Estate, and by the Cab Calloway Orchestra.Mini Biography:
Bandleader, songwriter ("Minnie the Moocher", "Are You Hep to That Jive?"Trivia:
Cab Calloway School of the Arts opened in 1992 in Wilmington Delaware...BigelowThe Blues Brothers (1980) ....The Midtown Beat (1972) TV episode The Littlest Angel (1969) (TV) ....Louis Blues (1958) ....Band Leader, ZaZuZaz numberBetty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934) (voice) ....White (1933) (voice) ....Demento 20th Anniversary Collection (1991) (V) Janet Jackson: The Rhythm Nation Compilation (1990) (V) ....HimselfThe 30th Annual Grammy Awards (1988) (TV) ....HimselfAll Star Gala at Ford's Theatre (1987) (TV) ....HimselfThe 7th Annual Black Achievement Awards (1986) (TV) ....HimselfNight of 100 Stars II (1985) (TV) ....Episode dated 11 September 1970 (1970) TV episode ....HimselfBasin Street Revue (1956) ....HimselfSensations of 1945 (1944) (as Cab Calloway and His Band) ....Round (1937) (as Cab Calloway and His Cotton Club Orchestra) ....Band LeaderCab Calloway's Jitterbug Party (1935) (uncredited) ....Old ManInternational House (1933) ....Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?Did He Ever Live in Baltimore, MD?They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update.Internet Movie Database Inc.Terms and Privacy Policy under which this service is provided to you.Click your browser's Refresh button to try reconnecting.Click your browser's Back button to return to the previous page."Cab Calloway on MSN Music";s.Cab Calloway School of the Arts strives to combine the arts and academics to provide excellence in education.The mission of the middle school is to provide a quality education to those who have a desire to explore the creative and exploring arts.Arts is a place where traditional learning is enriched by the
addition of the performing, creative and visual arts.HoCab Callway (born Cabell Calloway III) is one of the greatest Jazz performers.In the 1920's, Cab worked with a band called The Alabamians while studying law at Chicago's Crane College.He later joined The Missourians which changed its name to Cab Calloway and His Orchestra.His most famous song, Minnie the Moocher, was written in 1931 and sold over 1,000,000 copies.The band broke up in the 1940's when bad financial decisions (gambling problems) caught up with Cab.Cab by way of the film The Blues Brothers.Father: Cabell Calloway II (lawyer)Mother: Martha Eulalia Reed (teacher)Sister: Blanche Calloway (bandleader)Wife: Betty (div.Me (1976, autobiography)
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