Ethel V. Finnie(January 7, 1898 – May 1, 1981)[1]was an Americanclassic female bluessinger.[2]Her most notable recording is "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, but Your Papa Will Be Gone". Information about her life outside music is sketchy.[3]
Ethel Finnie | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ethel V. Finnie |
| Born | January 7, 1898 New Orleans,Louisiana, United States |
| Died | May 1, 1981(aged 83) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Classic female blues |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1920s |
| Labels | Edison,Ajax,Emerson |
Life
editFinnie was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana, the second child and only daughter of Noble Armond Finnie, a butler, and Mary "Mamie" Anderson Finnie, a housewife.[4]She had an older brother, Noble Finnie, Jr.[5]
Finnie was a graduate ofNew Orleans University(later incorporated intoDillard University)[6][7]and was employed as a schoolteacher at the McDonogh School No. 6.[8]
Finnie married the pianist and composerPorter Graingeron September 25, 1923, inStamford, Connecticut,[9]with whom she performed throughout the northeastern United States, appearing at various venues and performing on radio programs, as documented in the pages of the African-American press of the period. It seems that after the birth of their daughter, Portia Lee Grainger, Finnie curtailed her activities and remained in New Orleans, close to her family, residing at 4021 Dryades Street.[10]Eventually Porter and Finnie divorced.
She subsequently married William Turner and went into business in New Orleans as a hairdresser[11]and later as the owner of a beauty shop, restaurant and grocery.[12]She was involved in the sororityIota Phi Lambda,serving as its southwestern regional director during the 1950s.[13]She also served as the treasurer of the Fourth Region of theNational Council of Negro Womenin the 1960s.[14]
Finnie died in New Orleans on May 1, 1981, aged 83.[15]
Career
editFinnie's short recording career was partly produced byJoe Davis.Some of her material was written by her first husband, Porter Grainger.[3]She recorded eight songs in 1923 and 1924, including "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, but Your Papa Will Be Gone".[16]It was released byEdisonas part of theEdison Diamond Discsseries in 1924 and was also issued on Edison'sAmberolcylinder.[3]
She also recorded forAjaxandEmersonduring this short time span. Another song she recorded, "Mistreatin' Daddy Blues", was initially not released, which may have prevented her gaining a wider audience. Other little-known blues singers, includingGladys Bryant,Dolly Ross, andAda Brown,vied with Finnie for Grainger's material.[3]
All her recorded work was eventually released byDocument Records.[3]
Selected discography
edit| Year | A-side (Songwriter) |
B-side (Songwriter) |
Accompaniment | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | "I Don't Love Nobody (So I Don't Have No Blues)" (Clara Smith) |
"Don't You Quit Me Daddy" (Porter Grainger) |
Porter Grainger | Ajax Records |
| 1924 | "He Wasn't Born in Araby, but He's a Sheikin' Fool" (Andy Razaf/ Edgar Dowell) |
"Heart Breakin' Joe" (N/K) |
Fletcher Henderson | Emerson Records |
| 1924 | "Don't Know and Don't Care Blues" (Porter Grainger) |
"Hula Blues" (Porter Grainger) |
Porter Grainger | Ajax Records |
| 1924 | "You're Gonna Wake Up Some Morning, but Your Papa Will Be Gone" (N/K) |
Porter Grainger | Edison Records |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^U.S. Social Security Death Index 1933–2014. Ancestry.com.
- ^Harrison, Daphne Duval (1990).Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s.New Brunswick and London:Rutgers.p.247.ISBN0-8135-1280-8.
- ^abcdeChadbourne, Eugene."Ethel Finnie: Biography".AllMusic.RetrievedSeptember 18,2014.
- ^New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790–1899114:242. Baton Rouge: State of Louisiana, Secretary of State, Division of Archives, Records Management, and History.
- ^1900 Federal Census for City of Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi (Harrison County Enumeration District 30, Sheet 2, Lines 70–73).
- ^"Y.M.C.A. News".Chicago Defender.August 27, 1921. p. 8.
- ^"Plan Soiree at Dillard".Pittsburgh Courier.December 5, 1953. p. 9.
- ^Soards' New Orleans City Directory for 1918...New Orleans: Soards' Directory Co., 1918. p. 447.
- ^"Porter Granger [sic] Marries."Chicago Defender,September 29, 1923. p. 10.
- ^1940 Federal Census 12th Ward of City of New Orleans, Orleans Parish Enumeration District 36-337, Sheet 8-A, Lines 33–37.
- ^Polk's 1945 New Orleans (Orleans Parish, La.) Directory for 1945–46...New Orleans: R. L. Polk, 1945. p. 1154.
- ^Johnson, Toki Schalk(1951). "A Last Look at New Orleans, the City of Charm".Pittsburgh Courier.December 29, 1951. p. 10.
- ^"Pledgee".Pittsburgh Courier.August 1, 1953. p. 11.
- ^Ringgold, M. N. (1960). "Baton Rouge".Chicago Defender.May 21, 1960. p. 22.
- ^Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014 (on-line database). Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, 2011. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
- ^abGibbs, Craig Martin (2013).Black Recording Artists, 1877–1926: An Annotated Discography.McFarland & Company.pp. 181, 205, 222.ISBN978-0-7864-7238-3.
- ^"Ethel Finnie: Songs".AllMusic.com.RetrievedSeptember 18,2014.
- ^Yanow, Scott."Porter Grainger,1923–1929:Review ".AllMusic.com.RetrievedSeptember 18,2014.