Thelma Carpenter

Thelma Carpenter, the only child of Mary and Fred Carpenter, was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 15, 1922, and her career spanned seven decades. She was performing on radio programs like Jack Darrell's "Kiddies Hour" and the "Horn and Hardart Children's Hour" at age 5 and had her own show on WNYC by age 11. After winning an Apollo Theatre amateur night in 1938, she headlined at Kelly's Stable on legendary 52nd Street while still a teen. She was heard by John Hammond; he placed her with Teddy Wilson's band, with whom she appeared at the Famous Door and made her first recordings for Brunswick in 1939. She joined Coleman Hawkins' orchestra in 1940 and recorded "He's Funny That Way" for RCA Bluebird. In 1943, she replaced Helen Humes in the Count Basie Band, with whom she toured for two years and made numerous broadcast recordings, as well as the Columbia single "I Didn't Know About You." She made her Broadway debut in "Memphis Bound" with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in 1944 and replac