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Monette Moore (b. May 19, 1902 in Gainesville, TX, d. October 21, 1962 in Garden Grove, CA) was a jazz and classic female blues singer.
Moore was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She taught herself to play the piano in her teens and worked as a theater pianist in Kansas City in the early 1920s. In 1923 and 1924, she recorded for Paramount Records in Chicago and New York City, relocating to the latter city. In the 1920s she worked in Chicago, Dallas and Oklahoma City. She sang with Charlie Johnson's ensemble at Smalls Paradise and recorded with him in 1927 and 1928. She recorded 44 songs from 1923 to 1927, some under the name Susie Smith. Her sidemen included Tommy Ladnier, Jimmy O'Bryant, Jimmy Blythe, Bob Fuller, Rex Stewart, Bubber Miley, and Elmer Snowden. From 1924 to 1941, she worked in theaters and clubs in New York. She appeared with Lucky Millinder at the Lafayette Theater in 1931. In the 1930s, Moore recorded with Fats Waller (1932), filled in for Ethel Waters as an understudy, and sang with Zinky Cohn in Chicago in 1937. She performed at her own club, Monette's Place, in New York City in 1933. Around 1940 she sang in New York with Sidney Bechet and Sammy Price. In 1942, she moved to Los Angeles, where she performed often in nightclubs. She appeared in James P. Johnson's revue Sugar Hill (about 1949) and played minor roles in numerous films including Yes Sir, Mr. Bones (1951) and The Outsider. Moore recorded again from 1945 to 1947. She made a brief cameo appearance in the 1954 remake of A Star is Born, starring Judy Garland. Moore sang a brief refrain in the song-and-dance number, "Lose That Long Face", which was edited out of the film before it was released. This extended version of the song has been reconstructed, and can be seen on YouTube. In Los Angeles in the 1950s, she continued to perform in local venues, but also worked as a maid and restroom attendant. She played with the Young Men of New Orleans at Disneyland in 1961–1962.
Moore died of emphysema in October 1962.
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By Scott Yanow
Monette Moore was always a bit obscure, even when recording prolifically in the 1920s, but she was a surprisingly versatile blues and swing singer with a pleasing delivery of her own. Moore grew up in Kansas City and moved to New York in the early 1920s. During that decade she worked in many cities (including Chicago, Dallas and Oklahoma City) and spent a period singing regularly with Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten at Small's Paradise. In addition to her own recordings, Moore recorded a few titles with Johnson from 1927-28 (including "You Ain't the One" and "Don't You Leave Me Here").
Although the blues became less popular during the Depression, Moore worked fairly steadily in the 1930s and '40s, including three years as Ethel Waters' understudy. Moore performed primarily in New York, Chicago (including with Zinky Cohn in 1937) and eventually Hollywood. After a return to New York during which time she worked with Sidney Bechet and Sammy Price, she permanently settled in Los Angeles in November 1942. Moore appeared regularly at L.A. area nightclubs, was featured in James P. Johnson's Sugar Hill show and also appeared in a few Hollywood films in small roles. She spent most of the 1950s outside of music except on a part-time basis. During 1923-27, Moore recorded 44 songs as a leader (plus three alternate takes and some under the pseudonym of Susie Smith); among her sidemen were Tommy Ladnier, Jimmy O'Bryant, Jimmy Blythe, Rex Stewart, Bubber Miley and Elmer Snowden. In addition Moore, cut two selections apiece in 1932 (duets with Fats Waller) and 1936 plus six from 1945-47. Moore's last regular job was working with the Young Men of New Orleans in Disneyland from 1961-62 before dying from a heart attack.