Viola McCoy

Viola McCoy (c. 1900 – c. 1956) was an American blues singer who performed in the classic female blues style during a career that lasted from the early 1920s to the late 1930s.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1900, Died 1956

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1923 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal, kazoo, speaker, songwriter

See Also: Brown, Amanda

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-28920 10-in. 11/8/1923 It won't be long now Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor B-28921 10-in. 11/8/1923 Ev'ry day blues Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor [Trial 1923-07-06-08] 10-in. 7/6/1923 Sad 'n lonely blues Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 80912 10-in. 3/27/1923 Laughin' cryin' blues Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 80913 10-in. 3/27/1923 Strut long papa Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 80990 10-in. 4/26/1923 Triflin' blues Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 80991 10-in. 4/26/1923 Chirping the blues Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 81033 10-in. 5/24/1923 Tired o' waitin' blues Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia 81034 10-in. 5/24/1923 Michigan water blues Amanda Brown ; Porter Grainger Female vocal solo, with piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia W147772 10-in. 1/11/1929 I want a good man (And I want him bad) Viola McCoy Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Columbia W147773 10-in. 1/11/1929 If you really love your baby Viola McCoy Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with cornet and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12516-12517 10-in. 2/13/1924 Do right blues Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12518-12519 10-in. 2/13/1924 Ev’ry day blues Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12689-12691 10-in. 3/11/1924 I ain’t gonna marry, ain’t gonna settle down Fletcher Henderson's Jazz Five ; Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12692-12693 10-in. 3/11/1924 If your good man quits you, don’t wear no black Fletcher Henderson's Jazz Five ; Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12946-12947 10-in. 4/22/1924 I don’t want nobody that don’t want me Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet songwriter, vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick 12948-12949 10-in. 4/22/1924 It makes no difference now Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E2043-E2045 10-in. 1/6/1926 Stomp your blues away Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with violin, cornet, and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E2046-E2048 10-in. 1/6/1926 Shake that thing Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with violin, cornet, and piano vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E2439-E2440 10-in. 2/15/1926 South Street blues Dixie Trio ; Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio vocalist, soprano vocal  
Brunswick E2441-E2442 10-in. 2/15/1926 Charleston blues Dixie Trio ; Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio speaker  
Edison 9860 10-in. 11/21/1924 Memphis bound Kansas City Five ; Viola McCoy Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance ensemble vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "McCoy, Viola," accessed April 16, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116607.

McCoy, Viola. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116607.

"McCoy, Viola." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116607

External Sources

Wikipedia: Viola McCoy

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: McCoy, Viola - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr95000540

Wikidata: Viola McCoy - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7933028

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/56497592

MusicBrainz: Viola McCoy - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/1c8dba8c-43e8-4d4c-a186-f7d5a477bfe7

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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