Una Mae Carlisle


Una Mae Carlisle was an American jazz singer, pianist, and songwriter.

Background

Carlisle was born in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of Edward and Mellie Carlisle. Trained to play piano by her mother, she was performing in public by age three. Still a child, she performed regularly on radio station WHIO in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1932, while still in her teens, Fats Waller discovered Carlisle while she worked as a local Cincinnati performer live and on radio. Her piano style was very much influenced by Waller's; she played in a boogie-woogie/stride style and incorporated humor into her sets. She played solo from 1937, touring Europe repeatedly and recording with Waller late in the 1930s.
In the 1940s, Carlisle recorded as a leader for Bluebird Records, with sidemen such as Lester Young, Benny Carter, and John Kirby. She had a longtime partnership with producer/publisher/manager Joe Davis, which began after her contract with Bluebird expired. Her records under Davis included performances from Ray Nance, Budd Johnson, and Shadow Wilson. She also saw success as a songwriter; Cab Calloway and Peggy Lee were among those who covered her tunes. She had her own radio and television programs late in the 1940s. Her last recordings were for Columbia Records with Don Redman early in the 1950s.
She suffered from chronic mastoiditis, requiring repeated surgeries and hospitalizations, which forced her to retire in 1952. She died of pneumonia in a Harlem hospital in 1956. She is buried in Old Silvercreek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio. Carlisle was survived by her husband, former merchant seaman John Bradford, whom she married in 1941. Bradford was the owner of Gee-Haw Stables, a jazz venue in Harlem.

Partial discography