Songwriters Hall of Fame

Connee Boswell was one of the most admired and popular female vocalists of her time.

Born in New Orleans on December 3, 1907, Boswell originally rose to fame as a member of the Boswell Sisters, one of the 1930’s premier jazz vocal groups. Consisting of Connee (1907-76), Martha (1908-58) and Helvetia (1909-88), the trio (which often used Martha on piano) featured hard-swinging choruses and group scatting with numerous key and tempo changes. Connee received all of the solos but Martha and Helvetia both had very appealing voices too. The group had 20 top twenty recordings, including the #1 ‘Object of My Affection’ (1935). During this period, Connee also recorded as a soloist, but it wasn’t until 1936 when Vet and Martha got married and retired from singing that Connee officially launcher her solo career.

From 1932 through 1954, Connee recorded extensively and produced over 30 charted recordings including the #1 hits ‘Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)’ (1937) and ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ (1938, with Bing Crosby and Eddie Cantor). Boswell appeared in movie musicals including Kiss the Boys Goodbye and Syncopation, as well as the television show Pete Kelly’s Blues.

Connee Boswell died on October 12, 1976 in New York City.