Lizzy Miles

Miles was born in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, in a dark skinned Francophone Creole of Color family. She traveled widely with minstrel and circus shows in the 1910s, and made her first phonograph recordings in New York City of blues songs in 1922-- though Miles did not like to be referred to as a "Blues Singer", since she sang a wide repertory of music.

In the mid 1920s she spent time performing in Paris before returning to the United States. She suffered a serious illness and retired from music in the 1930s. In the 1940s she returned to New Orleans, where Joe Mares[?] encouraged her to sing again-- which she did, but always from in front of or beside the stage, since she said she had vowed in a prayer not to go on stage again if she recovered from her illness. Miles was based in San Francisco, California in the early 1950s, then again returned to New Orleans where she recorded with several Dixieland and traditional jazz bands and made regular radio broadcasts.

In 1959 she quit singing except for gospel music. She died in New Orleans on March 17, 1963.