Byrdie Green was a Jazz and R&B singer born in Detroit, Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

.

The daughter of a Baptist minister, she sang first in her father's church. Later she went to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and performed in clubs. Around 1965, she was hired by organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith and recorded albums for Prestige Records

Prestige Records

Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...

, Roulette Records

Roulette Records

Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...

, & Twentieth Century Fox. She also cut a few 45rpm records.

Byrdie took a break from her career to raise her two daughters, Deborah A. Murray and Dardenella Braxton

Dhar Braxton

Dhar Braxton , is a female house music singer. In 1986, she had a #1 hit single on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with the song, "Jump Back ." Braxton is not related to, nor a member of, The Braxtons singing group. She is the younger daughter of the late singer Byrdie Green...

. Upon her return she performed at Carnegie Recital Hall, toured with The Thad Jones, Mel Lewis Orchestra and before her death in February 2008, she was with the touring company of the Broadway play "Black and Blue". Byrdie's health started to fade and she developed emphysema

Emphysema

Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...

and was on oxygen 24 hours a day, and had to use a wheelchair. It was always her belief that she would sing again one day and that her heavenly father would make it happen, but she died before fulfilling this dream. She passed at St. Lukes Hospital on February 26, 2008 and was eulogized at Mt. Neboh Church in NYC on Saturday, May 3, 2008.

Discography

Albums:

The stinger meets the golden thrush (1966) (with Johnny "Hammond" Smith)

The golden thursh strikes at midnight (1966)

I got it bad (1967)

Sister Byrdie (1968)

45 rpm records:

How come / Tremblin' (End 1117)

Tremblin' / Memories are made of this (End 1122)

Don't make it hurt / Magic of your love (Hallmark 334)

Get a hold of yourself / Don't take your love from me (20th Fox 422)

I found my place (20th Fox 511)

Through a long and sleepless night / Tears (20th Fox 567)