“In the 1940s, swing was king, and with World War II raging, many of the best male musicians in the States were sent off to combat. That left the door open for female jazz musicians to take the stage. By then there were already several well-known female jazz bands, including Ina Ray Hutton and her Melodears and the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. The Darlinettes were a lesser-known band formed in central North Carolina whose path to the bandstand was not an easy one.”
The Darlinettes were an all-girl big band consisting of students from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina (now The University of North Carolina at Greensboro). Founded in 1942, the group played school dances, USO shows in Greensboro, and other events around the state. Read and listen to the story here — it includes interviews with band members. And take a listen to their performance of “You Don’t Get It From Books” in 1946.
