My dad knew a lot of entertainers back in the day. Being a photographer, he met them all: some of the biggest names in sepia entertainment. This photo was in Dad's things. Initially, I couldn't make out her last name on the photo which she signed, "Jimmy, sincere thanks and luck."  But I found an article about her in DC's  Afro American newspaper. 

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She started out as Katherine Ann Cornell, but dropped the Katherine as there was an actress with the same name. Sports and entertainment journalist, Ed Sullivan (Yes, that Ed Sullivan) in his July 21, 1943 syndicated column: "Ella Fitzgerald's niece would be wiser not to use that Katherine Ann Cornell monicker [sic] in her singing career."

 

 Ann Cornell was a vocal sensation back in the 1940s. Her career was brief, maybe a span of 10 years. She had the glamour  look of Lena Horne and the voice that was a cross between Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was her mentor. She traveled with Ella on some of her singing tours. 

 

August 21, 1943 Billboard review for her performance at Cafe Society:
 

"Barney Josephson, whose special gift is discovering talent and incubating them in his village nightspot before presenting them to the snootier confines of his uptown cafe [Cafe Society Uptown on East 58th Street], has a collection of sepia performers in his downtown place that merits watching. Josephson has done particularly well with personalities introduced in this club: witness the development of Hazel Scott, Lena Horne, Zero Mostel, Kenneth Spencer, Golden Gate Quartet and others. His attention is now focused on Ann Cornell, Pearl Primus [dancer] and Mary Lou Williams [pianist].

Miss Cornell, related by blood and by song style to Ella Fitzgerald, is an extremely pretty singer with a flair for interpretation that enhances rhythm tunes and ballads. At show caught she put over a trio of tunes and an encore. She lacks the sure touches to be gained only by experience, but a lengthy stay in this spot should give her that polish."

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On November 17, 1944, she opened at the Club Bali in Washington, DC. Others on the bill were pianist Maurice Rocco and The Nicholas Brothers. While the other acts were gone within the next 3 and half weeks, Cornell was still at Bali and The Mills Brothers were added.

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I am pretty sure that my dad took this photo...In his collection of memories, photo credit was given to those that were not his. 

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There is so much that is a mystery about Ann Cornell. Was she born in Philly or Virginia? Was she born around 1923? Was she a cousin or a niece to Ella Fitzgerald? Did she marry?

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