Annette Hanshaw

Catherine Annette Hanshaw (October 18, 1901 – March 13, 1985) was an American Jazz Age singer. She was one of the most popular radio stars of the late 1920s and early 1930s, with many of her most notable performances taking place on NBC's Maxwell House Show Boat. Over four million of her records had been sold by 1934, following the peak of her popularity.

In her ten-year recording career, she recorded about 250 sides. In a 1934 poll conducted by Radio Stars magazine, she received the title of best female popular singer (Bing Crosby was voted the best male popular singer). Second place went to Ethel Shutta, third place went to Ruth Etting, and fourth place went to Kate Smith.

Hanshaw was born in Manhattan on October 18, 1901, to Frank Wayne Hanshaw and Mary Gertrude McCoy. She had two brothers, George and Frank.

Her aunt and uncle, Nellie McCoy and Bob "Uke" Hanshaw, were vaudeville performers. She sang for guests at hotels owned by her father and demoed sheet music at her family's music store, The Melody Shop, in Mount Kisco, Westchester County, New York. Hanshaw aspired to be a portrait painter, studying at the National School of Design for a year. Her professional music career started when she was paid to sing for society and birthday parties.

Before her recording career, Hanshaw sang on local radio stations while visiting Florida with her family. She first recorded a demo for Pathé featuring a medley of popular songs. Her first commercial recordings, "Black Bottom" and "Six Feet of Papa," were recorded on September 12 and 18, 1926. She recorded for Pathé until 1928; Pathé released her records on both the Pathé and the Perfect labels.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning in June 1928, Hanshaw recorded for Columbia Records; most of these recordings were issued Columbia's budget or "dime-store" labels Harmony, Diva, Clarion and Velvet Tone. A handful were also released on the regular-priced Columbia and lower priced OKeh labels. Although most were released under Hanshaw's name, she used the pseudonym Gay Ellis for sentimental numbers, and Dot Dare or Patsy Young for her Helen Kane impersonations. Hanshaw recorded under a number of other pseudonyms, including Ethel Bingham, Marion Lee, Janet Shaw and Lelia Sandford.

In August 1932, Hanshaw began recording for ARC; her recordings were issued on the Melotone, Perfect, Conqueror, Oriole and Romeo labels. Her final session, on February 3, 1934, was placed on ARC's Vocalion label.

Throughout her recording career, she sang with the Original Memphis Five, Willard Robison's Deep River Orchestra, Sam Lanin's Orchestra, Lou Gold's Orchestra, Frank Ferera's Hawaiian Trio and Rudy Vallée's Connecticut Yankees. Some of the artists whose solos were featured on her recordings were Red Nichols, Miff Mole, Phil Napoleon, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Adrian Rollini, Vic Berton, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Jack Teagarden.