Ida Cox

Born Ida M. Prather on February 25, 1988 (or 1896 depending on the source) in Taccoa, Georgia, Ida Cox was a vaudeville performer and singer once referred to as ‘The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues’. As a young girl, she joined the African Methodist Choir and became interested in gospel music and performing. She left home at 14 to tour with White and Clark’s Black & Tan Minstrels. She also performed with other African-American minstrel shows. In 1908 (or 1916 depending on the source), she married Adler Cox. Although Adler Cox was killed in World War 1, Ida retained his surname for the rest of her career. In 1915, she made a transition from minstrel shows to singing the blues on the vaudeville circuit. Within five years, she was appearing as a headline act and gaining rave reviews. In 1922, one of her live performances was broadcast on WMC Radio, introducing her to a wider audience. This led to a recording contract with Paramount Records. Cox recorded 78 titles for the label. She also recorded sides for other labels under different pseudonyms: Jane Smith, Kate Lewis, Velma Bradley, and Julia Powers. She continued to perform live through the 1930s, although touring was briefly derailed by the Great Depression. In 1939, Cox performed in the Carnegie Hall concert series From Spirituals to Swing, which was produced by John Hammond. With renewed interest in her career, Cox was able to record for the Vocalion and Okeh labels between 1939 and 1940. She continued her busy live schedule until 1945 when she suffered a stroke, which sent her into retirement. In 1959, she was coaxed out of retirement by John Hammond, who encouraged her to go back into the studio and record. In 1961, Cox released the album Blues for Rampart Street, which she referred to as her ‘final statement’. After the album’s release, she retired from the industry again. She suffered another stroke in 1965. Ida Cox died of cancer at the age of 71 on November 10, 1967. Her recordings have been reissued on various compilations over the years including the 1991 collection I Can’t Quit My Man.

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