Rosetta Howard
Rosetta Howard (August 30, 1913 – October 8, 1974) was an American blues singer who recorded in the 1930s and 1940s. Little is known of her life. She was born in Woodruff County, Arkansas, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she began her career by joining in with jukebox selections at the club where she worked. Around 1932, she began singing professionally with Jimmie Noone and other bandleaders including Sonny Thompson. Beginning in 1937 she made a number of recordings with the Harlem Hamfats, including her paean to marijuana, "If You're a Viper", and the ribald "Let Your Linen Hang Low". The latter was noted by one music journalist as "Howard engaging Kansas Joe McCoy in sexy banter". She also recorded with Herb Morand and Odell Rand, who were members of the group. In 1939 she recorded with the Harlem Blues Serenaders, who included Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Lil Armstrong, Henry "Red" Allen and Barney Bigard. She continued to perform in Chicago in the 1940s, and in 1947 featured on recordings with the Big Three, including Willie Dixon and Big Bill Broonzy. The records were unsuccessful, and she did not record again. In the 1950s she sang with Thomas A. Dorsey at the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. Howard died in Chicago in 1974. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Chicago, Died 1974 (Chicago)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 41 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | CCO4788 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | Ebony rhapsody | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4789 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | I keep on worrying | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4790 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | When I been drinking | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4791 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | Help me baby | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4837 | 10-in. | 9/3/1947 | It's hard to go thru life along | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4838 | 10-in. | 9/3/1947 | Where shall I go | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4839 | 10-in. | 9/3/1947 | Too many drivers | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4840 | 10-in. | 9/3/1947 | Why be so blue | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4954 | 10-in. | 12/20/1947 | Sweep your blues away | Rosetta Howard | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4955 | 10-in. | 12/20/1947 | It was you | Rosetta Howard | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4956 | 10-in. | 12/20/1947 | You made me love you | Rosetta Howard | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4957 | 10-in. | 12/20/1947 | Plow hand blues | Rosetta Howard | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO5268 | 10-in. | 5/29/1951 | Lonesome | Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio | vocalist | |
| Decca | 62643 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Let your linen hang low-1 | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 62644 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | If you're a viper | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 62645 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Rosetta blues | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 62646 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | It's your turn | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 62647 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Let's fall in love again-1 | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 62648 | 10-in. | 10/5/1937 | Worried mind blues | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63640 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | It will never happen again | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63641 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | Trading old love for new | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63642 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | Stay on it | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63643 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | Delta bound | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63644 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | You got to go when the wagon comes | Rosetta Howard | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 63645 | 10-in. | 4/21/1938 | How long baby | Rosetta Howard | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Howard, Rosetta," accessed December 12, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/321965.
Howard, Rosetta. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/321965.
"Howard, Rosetta." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 12 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Howard, Rosetta - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n95049331
Wikidata: Rosetta Howard - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q511960
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/59279785
MusicBrainz: Rosetta Howard - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ca1dba39-9dc6-4916-9c04-528ad9fda547
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