Even Bailey’s age was a matter of dispute; she claimed to have been born in 1907--which would have made her 44 at her death--but other accounts indicate her birth date may have been 1900.
“She and her brothers were about 7/16s Indian, or just under half,” Price said. Bailey had an allotment on the Coeur d’Alene reservation and her family had also lived on the Spokane Indian Reservation. She grew up in Tekoa, Wash., near Spokane.
“As a girl, she was exposed to tribal music,” Price said. “Her mother was a fine musician who played the piano and who also took part in tribal music.”
Bailey called traditional Indian singing “a remarkable training and background” for a singer. “It takes a squeaky soprano and straightens out the clinkers that make it squeak; it removes the bass boom from the contralto’s voice,” she said. “This Indian singing does this because you have to sing a lot of notes to get by, and you’ve got to cover a lot of range.”
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Mildred Bailey had two brothers who also became musicians: Al and Charles Rinker, the latter a lyricist. Al Rinker partnered with Bing Crosby in early years with the Rhythm Boys, starting in Spokane. Fascinating to think of these singers and musicians coming out of the Pacific Northwest.
Bailey sang at Carnegie Hall in 1947.
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