Herb Jeffries
American singer and actor / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Herb Jeffries?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Herb Jeffries (born Umberto Alexander Valentino; September 24, 1913 – May 25, 2014) was an American actor of film and television and popular music and jazz singer-songwriter, known for his baritone voice.
Herb Jeffries | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Umberto Alexander Valentino (alt. Umberto Alejandro Balentino)[1] or Ballentino[2] |
Also known as |
|
Born | (1913-09-24)September 24, 1913 Detroit, Michigan, US |
Died | May 25, 2014(2014-05-25) (aged 100) West Hills, Los Angeles, California, US |
Genres | Jazz, popular |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
Years active | 1933–1995 |
Labels | Warner Bros.[3] |
He starred in several low-budget "race"[1] Western feature films aimed at black audiences,[4] Harlem on the Prairie (1937), Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938), Rhythm Rodeo (1938),[5] The Bronze Buckaroo (1939) and Harlem Rides the Range (1939). He also acted in several other films and television shows.[2] During his acting career he was usually billed as Herbert Jeffrey[4] (sometimes "Herbert Jeffries" or "Herbert Jeffries, Sensational Singing Cowboy").[6]
In the 1940s and 1950s Jeffries recorded for a number of labels, including RCA Victor, Exclusive, Coral, Decca, Bethlehem, Columbia, Mercury and Trend. His album Jamaica, recorded by RKO, is a concept album of self-composed calypso songs.