Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976)[1] was an American vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.
[2] Connee Boswell is considered one of the great female jazz vocalists and was a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald, who said "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it...I tried so hard to sound just like her.
The sisters traveled to Los Angeles, where they performed on local radio and "side-miked" for the soundies, including the 1930 production Under Montana Skies.
Her other guest appearances on radio included The Salute To Irving Berlin/Alexander's Ragtime Band (the feature film), CBS, August 5, 1938; America Calling (appeal for Greek War Relief), February 8, 1941; March of Dimes Special, January 11, 1940; CBC Fourth Annual Victory Loan, May 21, 1943; and "Philco Radio Time", ABC, June 4, 1947.
Boswell sang from a wheelchair—or a seated position—during her career, owing to either a childhood bout with polio[1] or a fall from the back of a coaster wagon.
During World War II, she tried to get involved with the USO tours, but was not given permission to travel overseas; the Army thought it might not be a morale booster to have a singer who used a wheelchair perform for the troops.
(Crosby and The Boswell Sisters first sang together in 1931 on a 12" medley of songs from the then-current George White's Scandals, issued on Brunswick 20102.)
[4] Connee Boswell died on October 11, 1976, from stomach cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City at age 68.
The documentary was screened as La Vida es una Cancion in Spain at the Swing Sevilla Festival on April 2, 2016, with Spanish-language subtitles.