Wee Bea Booze

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Bea Booze (May 23, 1920 – 1975), often credited as Wee Bea Booze, was an American rhythm & blues and jazz singer most popular in the 1940s. She was born Muriel Nicholls in Baltimore, and made her name as a singer in Harlem. She was signed by Decca Records to cover the songs and emulate the style of Lil Green, and, under the guidance of Sammy Price, first recorded in 1942. Her version of "See See Rider Blues", first recorded by Ma Rainey, reached # 1 on the R&B chart, after which she was billed as 'The See See Rider Blues Girl'. As well as singing, she played guitar in performance and on many of her recordings. Later in the 1940s, Booze recorded as a jazz vocalist with the Andy Kirk band, which featured trumpeter Fats Navarro, and also with a jazz quartet that included saxophonist George Kelly and organist Larry Johnson. She retired from the music business in the early 1950s to settle first in Baltimore and later in Scottsville, New York, although she recorded with Sammy Price in 1962. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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