Toni Harper

Toni Harper (June 8, 1937 – February 10, 2023), also known as Toni Dunlap, was an American former child singer who retired from performing at the age of 29.

After learning dance under Maceo Anderson, Harper was cast by the choreographer Nick Castle in Christmas Follies, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in 1945. She later went on to perform on stage with Herb Jeffries and Cab Calloway.

Harper performed at the third annual Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. on September 7, 1947. Woody Herman, The Valdez Orchestra, The Blenders, T-Bone Walker, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Sarah Vaughan and the Three Blazers also performed that same day. She came back to perform for the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert on June 1, 1952. Also featured that day were Roy Brown and His Mighty Men, Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Josephine Baker.

Harper recorded "Candy Store Blues" in 1946, which became a platinum record, appeared twice on Toast of the Town (later The Ed Sullivan Show) in 1949, and made her third and final appearance on the show in 1950.

After success as a child singer, Harper recorded her first album, Toni, for Verve Records in 1955, with the Oscar Peterson Quartet. She made two further albums, arranged by Marty Paich, Lady Lonely (1959) and Night Mood (1960), for RCA Victor.

Harper toured Japan with Cannonball Adderley in 1963, and appeared in the film How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), before retiring from performing in 1966.

Toni Harper died on February 10, 2023, near her home in Palm Springs, California. She was 85 years old.

Birth and Death Data: Born (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States)), Died February 10, 2023

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1951 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= 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
Columbia RHCO4465 10-in. 4/11/1951 Baby blues Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO4466 10-in. 4/11/1951 Peculiar kind of feeling Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10100 10-in. 1/22/1952 Blacksmith blues Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo  
Columbia RHCO10101 10-in. 1/22/1952 Don't send me home Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10238 10-in. 7/28/1952 The melancholy trumpet (ooh-wah) Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  
Columbia RHCO10241 10-in. 7/28/1952 Fruit cake Toni Harper ; Harry James Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Harper, Toni," accessed January 8, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/369830.

Harper, Toni. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 8, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/369830.

"Harper, Toni." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 8 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/369830

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