Laura Dukes facts for kids

Laura Ella Dukes (born June 10, 1907 – died October 10 or 14, 1992) was an amazing American musician. She was a talented blues singer, dancer, and played instruments like the mandolin, banjo, and ukulele. People sometimes called her Little Laura Dukes. She performed and recorded music in Memphis, Tennessee, for a very long time, from the 1920s all the way to the 1980s!

Her Early Life and Musical Start

Laura Ella Smith was born in North Memphis, Tennessee. Her dad was a drummer in a famous band led by W. C. Handy. When she was a young child, her father took her to theaters and taverns. This is where she started performing and later worked as a singer and dancer.

She was often called "Little Laura" or "Little Bit". These nicknames came from her height, which was only 4 feet 7 inches tall. In 1933, she met a blues singer named Robert McCollum, who later became known as Robert Nighthawk. They started performing together as a musical duo. Laura first learned to play the guitar. After that, she picked up the banjo, ukulele, and mandolin.

Recording and Performing Career

Laura Dukes made her first recordings in 1934. She played the mandolin on songs recorded in Chicago by the Memphis Jug Band. This band featured a musician named Will Shade. These recordings were made for OKeh Records.

In the early 1950s, she also recorded with the Will Batts band. These songs were released much later, about twenty years after they were recorded. She also performed with the Batts band from time to time. Later in the 1950s, she recorded several songs with Will Shade and Gus Cannon. In 1972, performing as Little Laura Dukes, she recorded more songs. These were first released on Italian albums called Blues Oggi and Tennessee Blues Vol.1.

Later Years and Legacy

From the late 1950s, Laura mainly performed in Dixieland groups. These groups played at parties and festivals. She became very popular with white audiences in Memphis. In 1976, she appeared in a BBC television series called The Devil's Music. She continued to perform in clubs in Memphis throughout the 1980s.

Laura Ella Dukes passed away in 1992 when she was 85 years old. She left behind a legacy as a versatile and long-performing musician in the blues and Dixieland scenes.