Herb Jeffries | |
|---|---|
 Jeffries in 1944 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Umberto Alexander Valentino (alt. Umberto Alejandro Balentino)[1] or Ballentino[2] |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | September 24, 1913 Detroit, Michigan, US |
| Died | May 25, 2014 (aged 100) West Hills, Los Angeles, California, US |
| Genres | Jazz, popular |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1933–1995 |
| Labels | Warner Bros.[3] |
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.
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.
- ^ a b "Herb Jeffries, jazz balladeer and star of all-black cowboy movies, dies". The Washington Post. May 26, 2014.
- ^ a b Herb Jeffries at IMDb
- ^ Warner Bros. Records. "Promotional image of Herb Jeffries". Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- ^ a b "Herb Jeffries Obituary". Legacy.com.
- ^ "Herb Jeffries, Pioneering Black Singing Cowboy of the Movies, Dies at 100". The Hollywood Reporter. May 25, 2014.
- ^ Chuck Anderson. "Herb Jeffrey/Jeffries - Western Movie Hero". B-westerns.com. Retrieved April 19, 2020.