Cab Calloway Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Cab Calloway was born on December 25, 1907, in Rochester, New York and he was an American bandleader, singer, and performer known for his work in jazz and swing music.

He was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied at Crane College in Chicago, where he also began performing in nightclubs. Calloway gained national prominence in the early 1930s with his performances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In 1931, he recorded “Minnie the Moocher,” which became his signature song and the first jazz record to sell over a million copies. The song was notable for its use of call-and-response scatting, which became a hallmark of Calloway’s performance style. He also popularized slang and musical terminology through his 1944 publication The Hepster’s Dictionary. Calloway led one of the most successful big bands of the swing era. His orchestra featured many prominent musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Ben Webster, and Milt Hinton. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he toured extensively and appeared in numerous short films and feature-length movies, including Stormy Weather (1943), in which he performed a memorable rendition of “Jumpin’ Jive.”

During the 1950s and 1960s, as the popularity of big band music declined, Calloway transitioned to musical theater. He portrayed Sportin’ Life in George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and appeared in various stage productions and television programs. He experienced a revival of popularity in the 1980s after appearing in The Blues Brothers (1980), performing “Minnie the Moocher” to a new generation of audiences. Calloway continued performing into his 80s and was recognized with numerous honors, including the National Medal of Arts in 1993. His influence extended beyond music into popular culture, language, and fashion.