George Ewing Lee (1896 - 1958)

Born 28 Apr 1896 in Boonville, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Died 2 Oct 1958 at age 62 in Willowbrook, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

George Lee is Notable.

George Lee was an American jazz bandleader.^[1]

George Ewing Lee was born in Boonville Missouri 28 Apr 1896. He was the son of George Lee and Katie Redmond.

He was an American Jazz bandleader and the elder brother of the musician Julia Lee. He performed in a band while he was serving in the army 1917 and afterwards sang in a vocal quartet then in 1920 he started up an ensemble with his sister who became one of the singers. He played regular at the Lyric Hall in Kansas City in the 1920's and later in 1927 played in an octet with the pianist Jesse Stone recording music such as Down Home Syncopated Blues the earliest recording of Julia's voice and they recorded six tunes for Brunswick in 1929.

In 1933 his group was absorbed into the Benny Moten Orchestra but in 1935 he left this Orchestra and moved to Jackson in Michigan around 1940 and managed a nightclub in Detroit he had retired from music by then in the late 40's he moved to San Diego where he died on 2nd of October 1958

1. George E Lee and his Novelty Singing Orchestra- Red Hot Jazz Archive , Retrieved 30 November 2020

2. George E Lee - The Pendergast Years, Retrieved 2018-03-05

3. Scott Yanow, George E Lee at Allmusic

4. https://pendergastkc.org/article/biography/george-e-lee

"George E Lee and his Novelty Swinging Orchestra"

George .E. Lee led this popular band that was based in Kansas City during the 1920;s and the early 30's both George and his sister Julia Lee sang with the band tending more towards vaudeville than Jazz. This band toured mostly around the Southwest and also played in Chicago and New York, They released other records under the name of Julia Lee with George.E.Lee and his Novelty Singing Orchestra. They featured some outstanding singers and soloists including Charlie Parker who played with them in the 1930's George was sometimes billed as the Cab Calloway" of the Middle West. He had a powerful voice and sung ballads and novelty songs

Although his recordings were not many. he and his sister and their orchestra were very popular in the 1920's and 30's and deserve to be regarded as significant musicians in this type of jazz.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Lee

• en.m.wikipedia-George Lee
• www.digmusic.co.uk-blog-video
• syncopatedtimes.com-georgelee
• pendergastkc.org-georgelee
• www.jazzmusicarchives.com-artist

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3CC-Z4Y : accessed 29 April 2021), Ewing Lee in household of George Lee, Boonville Township Boonville city (west half) Ward 1, 3, Cooper, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 46, sheet 1A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,850.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2YX-154 : accessed 29 April 2021), George Lee Jr. in household of George Lee, Kansas Ward 11, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 135, sheet 2A, family 36, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 787; FHL microfilm 1,374,800.

• His parents & younger brother in the 1920 Census: "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8HN-8WD : 2 February 2021), Lee, Kansas City Ward 10, ED 151, Jackson, Missouri, USA. [His given names has been defaced but could be Geo.]

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3RN-L4N : 22 February 2021), George Ewing Lee, 1917-1918.
  • Born Boonville, Mo, resident of K. C., Mo., single
  • Porter for Robt Jackson of Vine St

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHF7-QQ6 : accessed 29 April 2021), George Lee, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 69, sheet 14B, line 68, family 409, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1195; FHL microfilm 2,340,930.

Census household includes Isabelle, age 20 married at 18, born Oklahoma. Son George Lee Jr. was 8/12 at census. Same Isabelle was spouse on George's death certificate in Willowbrook, Los Angeles, CA.

• Ancestry.com, database with images, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995" > Missouri > Kansas City > 1930 > Kansas City, Missouri, City Directory, 1930 > image 522 of 1501, page 1021, left column for "Lee, Geo E (Isabelle) mus h2226 Forest av" Ancestry Record 2469 #619154520 with attached Image (Ancestry Sharing Link); Polk's Kansas City (Missouri) Directory 1930 Vol LX (Kansas City, Missouri, USA : Gate City Directory Co.), 1930

• World War II Draft Registration Card dated April 1942: Ancestry Record 1002 #11493536 with attached Image (Ancestry Sharing Link)
  • Birth Date: 28 Apr 1896
  • Residence Place: Detroit, Michigan, USA
  • Permanent Contact: Julia Lee, Kansas City, Mo.

• "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3W-8R7R : 1 March 2021), George Ewing Lee, 1958.

• • Abstract from image of attached Death Certificate:

• • • California Certificate of Death number 15370
    • Died 2 Oct 1958, at residence in Willowbrook, Los Angeles County, California, USA
    • Informant: Isabelle Lee
    • Born: 28 April 1896, Missouri
    • Parents: George Lee and Katie Redmond, both born in Mo.
    • Present Spouse: Isabelle Lee
    • Occupation: Musician, 40 years, self-employed
    • Military: WWI
    • Residence: Willowbrook, Los Angeles County, California; in Los Angeles County for the past 12 years
    • Burial: 10/6/1958, Paradise Mem. Park Cem.
    • Arrangements: J. S. Williams Funeral Home

• "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPZF-RJ1 : 26 November 2014), George Ewing Lee, 02 Oct 1958; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

Potential Records for Family:

• Missouri Death Certificates also available at https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/DeathCertificates#searchDB
  • Possibly mother's death certificate Ancestry Sharing Link
  • Possibly father's death certificate Ancestry Sharing Link
  • Possibly paternal grandmother's death certificate Ancestry Sharing Link
• Possible marriage record of parents: Ancestry Sharing Link

George's life between his registering for the WWI Draft and the 1930 Census is documented in numerous newspapers articles but no official records have been found to date [29 April 2021]

• Newspapers.com - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 15 Mar 1924 - Page Page 22
• Newspapers.com - Topeka This Week - 29 May 1926 - Page 3
• Newspapers.com - Iola Daily Register And Evening News - 17 Oct 1928 - Page Page 1
• Newspapers.com - Iola Daily Register And Evening News - 17 Oct 1928 - Page Page 8

Someone named George E Lee took out a marriage license with Augusta May Steward in 1917 in K. C. Missouri. The Certificate portion of the license is not filled out. It is unknown at this time (29 April 2021) whether the record is for George Ewing Lee nor whether the marriage ever took place. Ancestry Sharing Link

Possible records for the child that appears in the 1930 Census with George and Isabelle:

• Application for Social Security and Claims Index record for George Elee Pettis Jr Ancestry Sharing Link
  • Gender: Male, Race: Black
  • Birth: 17 Oct 1930, K C, Missouri
  • Death Date: 6 Dec 1990
  • Parents: Geroge E Lee and Irene Pettis
• World War II Draft Registration Card dated February 1947: Ancestry Record 2238 #122712607 with attached Image (Ancestry Sharing Link)
  • Birth: Aug 1 1928, Kansas City, Mo.
  • Residence: Los Angeles 11, L. A., Calif
  • Permanent Contact: George E Lee (Father)
  • Employer: Student Manual Arts High
• Marriage record indexed as George Lee Pettis
  • Marriage Date: 29 May 1958
  • Marriage Place: Missouri
  • Record Place: Jackson, Missouri, USA
  • Spouse: Violet Fern Bell
  • Certificate Number: 1958B0075275
  • Ancestry Record 8700 #628453 need to view the attached image to verify data