Helen Jones Woods RIP

[GabrielRice]

https://nyti.ms/2DjRoSC

Some trombone history I had no idea about.

[Vegasbound]

Thanks for posting, as you said she was part of trombone history and we should know Helen's story

[MalecHeermans]

I was only peripherally aware of the history of Helen Jones and The International Sweethearts of Rhythm. Listened to some of their few recordings (there's some live stuff) and - wow. Great band which, for obvious reasons, never seemed to get the financial rewards they were due.

A bittersweet story - more bitter than sweet really. A quote from her obituary really hit home for me:

"When the group split up in 1949 — bruised by the road and feeling exploited financially — Ms. Woods found the classical world no less racist. After her first performance with the Omaha Symphony, her father, who did not share her light complexion, picked her up, tipping off the orchestra that she was not white.

“They fired her,” said Ms. Woods’s daughter Cathy Hughes, a founder and chairperson of Urban One, a media company that focuses on Black culture. “She never touched her horn again.”"

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/obit ... 5ad835a43c

[Vegasbound]

There is already a thread on Helen's death maybe a mod can merge them?

Helen's story is one we should be aware of as part of music history

[TomRiker]

I found that to be a really heart breaking read. But I'm glad it was posted. Thanks.