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 1-25 of 60 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | D7VB-0522 | 10-in. | 4/24/1947 | One o'clock jump | Delta Rhythm Boys | Male vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Brunswick | DAL174 | 10-in. | 9/27/1935 | I can't dance (I got ants in my pants) | Roy Newman and his Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Decca | 68502 | 10-in. | 12/16/1940 | Dry bones | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68503 | 10-in. | 12/16/1940 | Joshua fit the battle of Jericho | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68504 | 10-in. | 12/16/1940 | Gimme some skin | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68505 | 10-in. | 12/16/1940 | Chilly 'n cold | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68708 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | Stardust | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68709 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | My imaginary love | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68710 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | My blue heaven | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 68711 | 10-in. | 2/14/1941 | would it be asking too much | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69238 | 10-in. | 5/22/1941 | She believed a gypsy | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69239 | 10-in. | 5/22/1941 | I do, do you | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69240 | 10-in. | 5/22/1941 | The things I love | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69360 | 10-in. | 6/13/1941 | Do you care? | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69413 | 10-in. | 6/24/1941 | When I'm gone you'll soon forget | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69414 | 10-in. | 6/24/1941 | When you're gone I won't forget | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69667 | 10-in. | 8/21/1941 | Playin' the game | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69668 | 10-in. | 8/21/1941 | Take the A train | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69669 | 10-in. | 8/21/1941 | Down on the delta shore | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 69670 | 10-in. | 8/21/1941 | Let me off uptown | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 70758 | 10-in. | 5/19/1942 | Mad about her, sad without her | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 70759 | 10-in. | 5/19/1942 | Keep smilin' , keep laughin' | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 71301 | 10-in. | 10/15/1942 | Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition | Delta Rhythm Boys | vocalist | ||
Decca | 72674 | 10-in. | 1/4/1945 | Gee baby ain't I good to you | Gulf Coast Five | vocalist | ||
Decca | 72675 | 10-in. | 1/4/1945 | Is there somebody else | Gulf Coast Five | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gaines, Lee," accessed October 6, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/316806.
Gaines, Lee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/316806.
"Gaines, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 6 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gaines, Lee, 1914-1987 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009064031
Wikidata: Lee Gaines - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5749587
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