Una Mae Carlisle was born on December 26, 1915, in Xenia, Ohio. She began her
career as a teenager performing live and on radio in Cincinnati before being
discovered by Fats Waller. Influenced by Waller's piano style, she initially
toured with him until 1934. She worked briefly for Irving Mills and later
embarked on a European tour with the Blackbirds revue, recording in London and
Paris. Upon returning to the United States in 1940 due to World War II, Carlisle
led her own band for Bluebird Records, collaborating with notable musicians such
as Lester Young and Benny Carter. Her h...