Mildred Bailey
Mildred Bailey (born Mildred Rinker; February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a Coeur d'Alene jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady", and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs "For Sentimental Reasons", "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Doin' The Uptown Lowdown", "Trust in Me", "Where Are You?", "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart", "Small Fry", "Please Be Kind", "Darn That Dream", "Rockin' Chair", "Blame It on My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart". She had three records that reached number one on the popular charts. Bailey grew up on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in Idaho, where her mother was an enrolled citizen. The family moved to Spokane, Washington, when she was 13. Her younger brothers also became musicians. Her brother, Al Rinker, started to perform as a singer with Bing Crosby in Spokane and became a member of The Rhythm Boys. As adults, Charles Rinker was a lyricist, and Miles Rinker was a clarinet and saxophone player who later became a booking agent. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Tekoa (town in Whitman County, Washington, United States), Died December 12, 1951 (Poughkeepsie (city in New York, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal, songwriter, leader
Notes: Sister of vocalist Al Rinker.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 51-75 of 215 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 23986 | 10-in. | 1/18/1939 | I cried for you | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 23987 | 10-in. | 1/18/1939 | Begin the beguine | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 23988 | 10-in. | 1/18/1939 | What shall I say | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24093 | 10-in. | 2/8/1939 | Cuckoo in the clock | Mildred Bailey ; Red Norvo Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24177 | 10-in. | 2/27/1939 | There'll never be another you | Mildred Bailey ; Red Norvo Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24178 | 10-in. | 2/28/1939 | It's slumbertime along the Swanee | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24179 | 10-in. | 2/28/1939 | 'Tain't what you do | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24180 | 10-in. | 2/28/1939 | Love is a necessary thing | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24181 | 10-in. | 2/28/1939 | Down-hearted blues | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24182 | 10-in. | 2/28/1939 | I can read between the lines | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24228 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | There'll be some changes made | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24229 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | Barrelhouse music | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24230 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | Arkansas blues | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24231 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | Gulf Coast blues | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24232 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | You don't know my mind blues | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24233 | 10-in. | 3/16/1939 | Prisoner of love | Mildred Bailey ; Oxford Greys | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | 24345 | 10-in. | 4/6/1939 | Three little fishies (Itty Bitty Poo) | Mildred Bailey ; Red Norvo Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24427 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | That old sly gentleman | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24428 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | Tit willow | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24429 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | The lamp is low | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24430 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | And the angels sing | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24763 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | It seems like old times | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24764 | 10-in. | 6/14/1939 | Guess I'll go back home | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24765 | 10-in. | 6/14/1939 | Moon love | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal | |
| Columbia | W24766 | 10-in. | 6/14/1939 | I'm forever blowing bubbles | Mildred Bailey | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist, soprano vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bailey, Mildred," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103960.
Bailey, Mildred. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103960.
"Bailey, Mildred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Mildred Bailey
Discogs: Mildred Bailey
Allmusic: Mildred Bailey
Grove: Mildred Bailey
IMDb: Mildred Bailey
Britannica: Mildred Bailey
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bailey, Mildred - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82164703
Wikidata: Mildred Bailey - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q257389
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/46945480
MusicBrainz: Mildred Bailey - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e079ff65-ad41-48e9-b6ce-8cdb0db64802
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/103353 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/103353
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