All-Girl Swing Bands & Female Entertainers: WWII

During WWII, all-women ensembles like Ada Leonard’s All-American Girl Orchestra, the multi-ethnic International Sweethearts of Rhythm and The Sharon Rogers Band offered a strategic reserve of national morale building. Sister acts such as the Andrews Sisters and now-forgotten Kim Loo Sisters were ubiquitous, broadcasting, touring and entertaining both servicemen and civilians. This overlooked aspect of American wartime culture is vividly depicted through rare footage and exclusive videoclips.

Join us for this very special program in honor of Women’s History Month.

Dave Radlauer has been recounting stories of early jazz and swing on radio, in print and online for more than four decades, garnering six broadcast awards. His website, 200 articles and YouTube channel offer fresh perspectives on vintage music. For Stanford University Library Archives, he’s written interpretive online articles and donated a large collection of Bay Area jazz music and photos. Dave teaches Osher Institute Zoom courses for UCLA, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University and others.

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Host or Publisher Jewish Community Center of San Francisco