Josie Miles
Encyclopedia
Josie Miles was an American
vaudeville
and blues
singer. She was one of the classic female blues
singers popular in the 1920s.
She was born in Summerville, South Carolina
, United States
. By the early 1920s she was working in New York City
, where she appeared in Eubie Blake
and Noble Sissle
's musical comedy Shuffle Along
. In 1922 she made her first recordings, for the Black Swan
Company, and later recorded for the Gennett
, Ajax
, Edison, and Banner Records
labels. In 1923 she toured the African-American theatre circuit with the Black Swan Troubadours, and performed in New York City in James P. Johnson
's revue Runnin' Wild at the Colonial Theatre
. In that same year she also performed on WDT Radio in New York City.
According to blues writer Steve Tracy, Josie Miles was characterized by "a light but forceful delivery that was not low-down but was nevertheless convincing." Her last recordings date from 1925. After the early 1930s, she devoted herself to church activities in Kansas City, Missouri
, where she had settled. She is thought to have died in an automobile accident in the 1950s or 1960s.
Josie Miles has often been credited with the six sides recorded in 1928 by the fiery Missionary Josephine Miles (also issued under the name Evangelist Mary Flowers), although blues historians Paul Oliver
and Chris Smith believe that the aural evidence does not support this identification.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer. She was one of the classic female blues
Classic female blues
Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female vocalists accompanied by pianists or small jazz ensembles, and were the...
singers popular in the 1920s.
She was born in Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina
Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County with small portions in Berkeley, and Charleston counties. It is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area as designated for statistical purposes by the U.S. Office...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. By the early 1920s she was working in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she appeared in Eubie Blake
Eubie Blake
James Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
and Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright.-Early life:...
's musical comedy Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along is the first major successful African American musical. Written by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, with music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1921.-Plot:...
. In 1922 she made her first recordings, for the Black Swan
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
Company, and later recorded for the Gennett
Gennett Records
Gennett was a United States based record label which flourished in the 1920s.-Label history:Gennett records was founded in Richmond, Indiana by the Starr Piano Company, and released its first records in October 1917. The company took its name from its top managers: Harry, Fred and Clarence Gennett....
, Ajax
Ajax Records (Quebec)
Ajax Records was a North American record company, pressed in Canada and sold in the United States from 1921 through 1926.The label served as a subsidiary of the Compo Company of Lachine, Quebec. Ajax issued its first record in October 1923 and the last in the summer of 1925. The head of Ajax...
, Edison, and Banner Records
Banner Records
Banner Records was a United States based record label of the 20th century.Banner Records was launched in January 1922 by the Plaza Music Company of New York City. Banner was an extremely popular label in the 1920s, concentrating on popular music of the day. To this day, Banners are often found all...
labels. In 1923 she toured the African-American theatre circuit with the Black Swan Troubadours, and performed in New York City in James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
's revue Runnin' Wild at the Colonial Theatre
Colonial Theatre
The Colonial Theatre is the oldest continually-operating theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Designed by the architectural firm of Clarence Blackall and paid for by Frederick Lothrop Ames the theatre first opened its doors for a performance of Ben-Hur on December 20, 1900...
. In that same year she also performed on WDT Radio in New York City.
According to blues writer Steve Tracy, Josie Miles was characterized by "a light but forceful delivery that was not low-down but was nevertheless convincing." Her last recordings date from 1925. After the early 1930s, she devoted herself to church activities in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, where she had settled. She is thought to have died in an automobile accident in the 1950s or 1960s.
Josie Miles has often been credited with the six sides recorded in 1928 by the fiery Missionary Josephine Miles (also issued under the name Evangelist Mary Flowers), although blues historians Paul Oliver
Paul Oliver
-Biography:Oliver was a researcher at the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development , and from 1978-88 was Associate Head of the School of Architecture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire...
and Chris Smith believe that the aural evidence does not support this identification.