Ronnie Wells
Ronnie Wells (born February 28, 1943 as Veronica Burke , † March 7, 2007 in Silver Spring ) was an American jazz singer who was initially active in the music scene in Washington, DC .
Live and act
Wells sang in the church choir as a child and led her own band at the age of 13, in which she sang and played the piano. After graduating from Cardozo High School in Washington, she studied at Howard University from 1960 to 1962 and worked in public administration and the private sector in the years that followed. In the mid-1960s she began to perform as a professional singer, u. a. in Washington's nightclubs such as Top O'Foolery, Blues Alley and The One Step Down , as well as in New York's Kennedy Center and Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland, and at international festivals. She also worked regularly with her second husband, the pianist Ron Elliston . Recordings were made a. for Columbia Records with The Widespread Depression Orchestra and on her own label Jazz Karma Records .
In addition, she worked as a music teacher, producer with her own studio ( Elliston Music Studio for Jazz Studies ) and festival organizer. From 1983 to 2002 Wells-Elliston taught jazz singing as Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland and served as a juror in competitions such as the Billie Holiday Competition (Baltimore), The Maryland Educator's Competition (College Park, MD), and the Jazz Program for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (Harrisburg) with. After founding the Fish Middleton Jazz Scholarship Fund , she co-founded the East Coast Jazz Festival in 1992 , where musicians such as Buster Williams , Keter Betts , Charlie Byrd , Dr. Lonnie Smith , Junior Mance , Houston Person , David Fathead Newman , Bobby Watson and Lou Donaldson made guest appearances. She died of complications from lung cancer . In the field of jazz, Wells participated in 28 recording sessions between 1979 and 2010.
Web links
- Obituary in Washington Post
- Ronnie Wells at Allmusic (English)
- Ronnie Wells in the database of Find a Grave (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wells, Ronnie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Burke, Veronica (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 28, 1943 |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 7, 2007 |
| Place of death | Silver Spring |