Hutton, Ina Ray
Hutton, Ina Ray
Hutton, Ina Ray, jazz singer, leader; b. Chicago, III., March 13, 1916; d. Ventura, Calif., Feb. 19, 1984. Of Jewish extraction, she was the daughter of pianist Marvel Ray and the half-sister of singer June Hutton (b. ca. 1918-21; d. 1973). During the early 1930s she sang and danced in several Broadway productions including Lew Leslie’s Clowns in Clover, George White’s Melody Revue, and the Ziegfeld Follies.In late 1934 agent Irving Mills signed her to front a big all-girl orch. (the outfit’s first musical director and arranger was Alex Hill). She continued with an all- girl band through the 1930s, then during the 1940s led her own male band which disbanded in 1944, then re-formed using the alumni of Bob Alexander’s Band. During the 1950s she occasionally fronted her own all-girl bands, but also did solo vocal work. She was inactive as a musician for the remainder of her life.
—John Chilton, who’s Who of jazz/ Dennis McIntire