Lee Gaines

Otho Lee Gaines (April 21, 1914 – July 15, 1987) was an American jazz singer and lyricist. Gaines wrote the lyrics for "Take the "A" Train" and "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'", two jazz standards by Billy Strayhorn.

Lee Gaines was from Buena Vista, in Mississippi, and began singing as a bass in high school, he formed a vocal quartet at Langston University in 1933, and returned to the United States in 1937 having toured South America. Gaines was a founding member of the Delta Rhythm Boys who achieved their peak popularity in the 1940s and 50's, having recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford, Charlie Barnet, Fred Astaire, Ruth Brown and Les Paul.

The Delta Rhythm Boys moved to Europe in the 1950s. Gaines had lived in Finland for a year at the time of his death from cancer in 1987 and he is buried in Maunulan uurnalehto, an urn cemetery at Helsinki (section 39, lot 109). Gaines was married to Muriel Gaines, a calypso singer and former Cotton Club dancer.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1915 (Houston), Died 1997

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-60 of 60 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca L 4116 4/11/1946 Just a-sittin' and a-rockin' Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4117 3/11/1946 No pad to be had Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4125 3/19/1946 Just a-sittin' and a-rockin' Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4131 3/21/1946 Hello, goodbye, forget it Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4132 3/21/1946 Just squeeze me Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4187 5/17/1946 But she's my buddy's chick Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4188 5/17/1946 walk it off Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4193 5/22/1946 A one-sided affair Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4194 10-in. 5/22/1946 What would it take? Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
Decca L 4320 10/17/1946 Just squeeze me Delta Rhythm Boys vocalist  
(Results 51-60 of 60 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaines, Lee," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/316806.

Gaines, Lee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/316806.

"Gaines, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/316806

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