06/09/2026
JAM & JIVE IN MUSIC HALL!
On June 9, 1943, Music Hall hosted a thrilling night of Black entertainment legends. The audience in Springer Auditorium heard the first sounds of Rock ‘n’ Roll from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “The Godmother of Rock n Roll,” singing while playing her sizzling electric guitar backed by King Records' Dynamaestro Lucky Millinder and his Blazing Recording Orchestra. The seminal Doo-Wop vocal group The Ink Spots, made famous on WLW, sang their hits “If I Cared a Little Bit Less” and “Every Night About This Time.” Famous tap dancer Clayton “Peg-Leg” Bates wowed the crowd with his American Bomber move, jumping five and a half feet in the air, spinning around, and landing on his prosthetic leg. Harlem comedy duo Red and Curley provided laughs to an evening packed with talent. Coke and beer were sold up and down the aisles, and following the show, the celebration continued as the artists performed for a four-hour dance in the Music Hall Ballroom.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnWz2AJ4I7s
The Ink Spots “If I Cared A Little Bit Less”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI2vVG5-cHY
Peg-Leg Bates dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hayM4B7hcBQ
About Clayton Peg-Leg Bates life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV_KZcj7Eww
