Marilyn Moore

American jazz singer during the 1950s.
Born June 16, 1930, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Died March 19, 1992 (age 61), Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
First wife of saxophonist [a=Al Cohn] (1953-1958, divorce).
Mother of guitarist [a=Joe Cohn].
She recorded one solo album, "Moody Marilyn Moore" (Bethlehem, 1957), on which her husband played sax. Her vocal style was similar to Billie Holiday's, and according to jazz critic Will Friedwald, Holiday and Moore were friends.
Born into a show business family, Moore began performing at the age of three, singing and dancing in the finale of her family’s vaudeville act.
As a teenager, she focused on singing and soon turned to jazz, working in clubs in Oklahoma City and Chicago. She performed with Herbie Fields and later with Dizzy Gillespie and Charles Parker in Chicago. Following graduation, Marilyn joined the Woody Herman band then went on tour with Benny Goodman and his orchestra then Charlie Ventura. By the early 1950s Moore had settled in New York. She sang with various groups, including those led by Ray McKinley, Boyd Raeburn and then her husband Al Cohn.