![]() In her act, "Baby Esther" danced, made funny faces, rolled her eyes, and-most famously-interpolated nonsense phrases such as "Boo-Boo-Boo", "Wha-Da-Da", and "Doo-Doo-Doo". Esther was a trained scat singer, dancer and acrobat who performed regularly at nightclubs in Harlem and all over the United States in the 1920s. She was initially managed by her parents, Gertrude and William Jones. " Baby" Esther Lee Jones, originally billed as Little, Li'l or Lil' Esther, was a child entertainer who lived in Chicago, Illinois. Other evidence introduced at the trial included a recording by the Duncan Sisters and testimony from performers such as Bonnie Poe, Margie Hines, and Little Ann Little, who testified that she had been singing in a baby voice and using interpolations such as "bo-de-o-do" for several years. An early test sound film of Baby Esther's performance was used as evidence. Fleischer trial that Kane saw Baby Esther's cabaret act in 1928, in which Esther used interpolated words such as "boo-boo-boo" and "doo-doo-doo". Theatrical manager Lou Bolton testified during the Kane v. In 1932, when singer Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios, claiming that they had appropriated her persona for the voice of the cartoon character Betty Boop, the studios defended themselves by arguing that Kane's style of singing-characterized by her baby voice and use of the phrase "boop-boop-a-doop"-was not her own invention. After gaining attention in her hometown of Chicago, she became an international celebrity before leaving the public spotlight as a teenager. 1918, date of death unknown), known by her stage names " Baby Esther", " Little Esther", and other similar variations, was an American singer and child entertainer of the late 1920s, known for interpreting popular songs with a "mixture of seriousness and childish mischief". By the time the legal proceedings had been wrapped, Jones was believed to have died, allowing fans to continue to think Helen Kane was the sole face of Betty Boop.Esther Lee Jones (born c. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found that there was not enough proof to support Kane’s claims and the case was thrown out. Jones herself was not present for the court case. A since-lost screen test of Jones was presented by the defense team. In fact, scatting as a whole was a Black innovation, as jazz was born from ragtime, spirituals and the blues.īetty Boop was voiced by a number of women for the animated series, including Marjorie Hines, Mae Questel and Ann Little.ĭuring the trial, Jones’s manager, Lou Walton, claimed Kane had been in one of the clubs where Jones sang and subsequently incorporated scatting into her own performances. She believed her essence was being lifted without credit-but it was alleged that the singing act she had been cultivating was built around one of Jones’ 1928 nightclub performances. Upon the release of Betty Boop the cartoon, Helen Kane, a white singer and actress, sued Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation, the person and company behind it, for $250,000. ![]() She was known for her “baby” style of singing and “boop” scatting. The archetype for the Betty Boop character was created in 1930 (while the actual cartoon flapper was first showcased in 1932) and the singing style sounded like that of Esther Jones, a child vocalist who performed during the Harlem Renaissance. Watch our ESSENCE After Dark conversation with the City Girls here. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET) Henson speaks onstage at the BET Awards 2021 at Microsoft Theater on Jin Los Angeles, California. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Taraji P.
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