Aiken, South Carolina (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) age 72 yrs

Etta Jones was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are “Don’t Go to Strangers” and “Save Your Love for Me”. She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, and Earl Hines. She also collaborated with Barney Bigard, Gene Ammons, and Kenny Burrell. Additionally, she worked with Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, and Houston Person.  She was raised in Harlem, New York, where she began performing as a teenager. She impressed Buddy Johnson at an amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. As a result, he invited her to join his band. Still in her teens, she joined the band for a tour although she was not featured on record. She is recognized for her highly productive later musical career. People often remember Etta Jones for her recordings on Prestige. However, she is also recognized for her highly productive later musical career. Her career was especially notable in the last two decades. Her last recording was a Billie Holiday tribute entitled “Etta Jones Sings Lady Day.” It was released in the USA on the day of her death. Jones earned the Eubie Blake Jazz Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Women in Jazz Foundation.