Eartha Kitt, in full Eartha Mae Kitt, (born January 17, 1927, North, South Carolina, U.S.—died December 25, 2008, Weston, Connecticut), American singer and dancer noted for her sultry vocal style and slinky…

Louis Armstrong, byname Satchmo (truncation of “Satchel Mouth”), (born August 4, 1901, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.—died July 6, 1971, New York, New York), the leading trumpeter and one of the most influential artists in jazz history.…

Billie Holiday, birth name Elinore Harris, byname Lady Day, (born April 7, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died July 17, 1959, New York City, New York), American jazz singer, one of the greatest from the 1930s to the ’50s.…