Herb Jeffries

Multicultural Jazz and Pop Vocalist

Herbert "Herb" Jeffries "The Bronze Cowboy". Born September 24, 1913 in Detroit, Michigan - died May 25, 2014 in Woodland Hills, California) was an American jazz and popular singer and actor. He was the first black man to star in an American western. He starred as a singing cowboy in several all-black Western films. Inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame (1997). Jeffries first recordings were with Earl Hines And His Orchestra. He recorded with Duke Ellington from 1940 to 1942. His most famous song, "Flamingo", sold over 50 million copies. In June 2010, at age 95, Jeffries gave a performance to raise funds for the Oceanside, California Unified School District's music program accompanied by the Big Band Jazz Hall of Fame Orchestra under the direction of clarinetist Tad Calcara.