Olivette Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olivette Miller
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| Born | February 2, 1914 Chicago, Illinois, US
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| Died | April 27, 2003 North Las Vegas, Nevada, US
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| Other names | Olivette Miller-Briggs (after 1982) |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Spouse(s) | Sax Mallard, Bunny Briggs |
| Parent(s) | Flournoy Miller, Bessie Oliver Miller |
| Relatives | Irvin C. Miller (uncle) |
Olivette N. Miller (born February 2, 1914 – died April 27, 2003) was an amazing American musician. She was known as a swing harpist and singer. Later in her life, she was also known as Olivette Miller-Briggs.
Growing Up and Learning Music
Olivette N. Miller was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Flournoy Miller, was a famous actor and writer. Her mother, Bessie Oliver Miller, was also a performer. Olivette had two uncles, Irvin C. Miller and Quintard Miller, who were also performers and producers.
Olivette went to school in New York and Rhode Island. She also studied at the University of Pennsylvania. She loved music and learned to play the harp. She studied the harp at the famous Juilliard School in New York. She even went to Paris to study with a well-known harp teacher, Marcel Tournier.
Her Music Career
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In 1937, Olivette Miller joined Noble Sissle's orchestra. She traveled with them to Europe during World War II. They performed for soldiers with the USO.
Olivette also performed by herself. She was called "the World's Greatest Swing Harpist." She played on tours and in Las Vegas in the 1940s and 1950s. She appeared on Broadway in a show called Africana in 1934.
She was also on television shows like Toast of the Town in 1955. She appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1962 and The Rosey Grier Show in 1968. Later, she was in the movie A Rage in Harlem in 1991.
In 1974, Olivette had her own solo show in Reno, Nevada. She also worked on a movie script about her father. She wanted to show how his comedy acts were sometimes used unfairly. In 1976, she helped create a TV show called The Show Folks. It was a comedy show for television.
Her Family Life
Olivette Miller was married a few times during her life. Her husbands included saxophonist Sax Mallard and tap dancer Bernard "Bunny" Briggs. She passed away in 2003 at the age of 89. She died in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
Her important papers are kept at Emory University. They are part of the Flournoy E. Miller Papers.
