Candy Rivers was a staple of the Joe Liggins band, the Honeydrippers, for a couple of years, having several records to her credit. However, the beginning of her performance career is very murky, as we'll soon see.
"Candy Rivers" was born Vernetta Ada Cartwright, in Patoka, Indiana, on November 13, 1928. Her parents were Vernet G. Cartwright and Frances Clay. Sadly, her name was misspelled "Vernethia" on her birth certificate.
In 1930, the family (now including brother Albert) was living in Belmar, New Jersey. Amazingly, the census-taker spelled Vernetta's name correctly.
But not so in 1940, when "Fanetta Cartwright" was living with her parents, brother Albert, and new siblings Frances, Alton, and George, in Calumet Park, Illinois, right near Chicago.
There was a small item in the February 22, 1947 Indianapolis Recorder: "Miss Cordelia E. Owsley returned last Thursday from Chicago, where she attended the wedding of Ada Vernetta Cartwright and Horace S. Hicks, Jr., both of Chicago." Sure enough, Vernetta had married Horace on January 20.
However, it was not a marriage destined to last. In the 1950 census, "A. Vernetta Cartwright" is back with her parents, brothers Albert and George, and new sister Elvera. By this time, the family had moved to Chicago. Vernetta's singing career was off to a flying start: she was enumerated as a "waitress - lunch counter".
So, some more of my snarky cynicism, you think. Not really, because now, the murkiness I promised you descends. To begin, you need to know that the Chicago census-taker had come around to the Cartwright family on April 3.
Only twenty-one days later (April 24, 1950), Vernetta recorded "Daddy On My Mind", with Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers, in Los Angeles, for Specialty Records. You'll see why in a moment, but I have to honestly say I don't like the April 24 recording date (however, it really comes from the Specialty files, so it doesn't matter if I like it or not). The session sheet doesn't mention "Vernetta Cartwright", but "Candy Rivers", a name that Liggins gave her, according to saxophonist Brother Woodman.
It must have been a busy day for Liggins: he gave a farewell dance that evening at the Avadon Ballroom, before leaving on a tour.
How did she end up with Liggins, a West Coast pianist (and older brother of guitarist Jimmy Liggins)? That's a good question. For an answer, let's travel ahead a year to this blurb in the March 3, 1951 Pittsburgh Courier:
LOS ANGELES - Joe Liggins, famed bandleader and composer, has signed a new vocal star, Candy Rivers, who was discovered by Liggins in Chicago, during one of the famed maestro's visits to the Windy City.
Miss Rivers, who possesses a voice sweet as her first name, formerly sang in a gospel trio, the other two members being her mother and a sister. She got her "big chance" when an informal audition was arranged for her in Indianapolis, Ind., by Denver Ferguson [a theatrical agent and nightclub owner], a long-time member of the music world. Liggins sat in on the "hearing" and was immediately sold on the 21-year-old singer.
Joining Liggins almost immediately, Candy toured during the summer with the band, and now is being groomed by Liggins to make her bid for greater things in the music world.
Recording sessions are being arranged. with Miss Rivers set as the star of the waxings, already tabbed to be sure-fire hits
Under the managership of Liggins, Miss Rivers is looking forward to working in television and the movies.
Not too much wrong with that, is there? Note that paragraphs one and two contradict each other. Was it Chicago or Indianapolis? It couldn't have been in Chicago, because when he played there in July 1950, a write-up in the July 15 Chicago Defender said: "Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers will play in Chicago July 16, marking their first trip here in several seasons." It couldn't have been in Indianapolis either; I won't bore you with the band's travels, but Liggins didn't appear there until May 7, 1950 (remember, I said he left on tour on April 24, the day of the "Daddy On My Mind" recording session). It said she toured with the band the whole summer, but her name was never connected with Liggins' until July 1950.
Where they did play in July 1950 was the Raleigh, North Carolina City Auditorium on the 10th, along with Little Willie Littlefield. Liggins had, indeed, been going since late April, but Candy wasn't mentioned in any ads before July 10.
Note that, in 1950, Liggins was riding high with two big hits: "Rag Mop" (#4) and "Pink Champagne" (#1 for 13 weeks).
Sometime in November, Specialty released "Daddy On My Mind". On "Daddy", she shares the vocal with Joe Liggins (the flip, "Little Joe's Boogie", just had a vocal by Joe). The disc's label is the first time the name "Candy Rivers" ever appears.
The Honeydrippers played the Apollo Theater the week of November 16. Was she with him there? Her name isn't in the ad or the write-up. However, if the record was released to coincide with that appearance, you can make a case for her being there to sing the tune.
The first mention of "Candy Rivers" in the press was in the December 1, 1950 St. Paul Recorder:
Joe [Liggins], in his best "honey dripper" style, has Little Joe's Boogie, a hot one, and Daddy On My Mind, on which Joe and Candy Rivers split vocal honors.
The record was reviewed in the December 16, 1950 Billboard:
Little Joe's Boogie (76): Punching boogie woogie novelty with gang chanting.
Daddy On My Mind (66): Liggins and thrush Candy Rivers do an inconsequential novelty duet.
Not an auspicious beginning to her career. "Little Joe's Boogie" was a small hit (#5) in early 1951.
Candy made some more Specialty recordings on February 15, 1951: "That's The One For Me" (a duet with Joe; it's a hillbilly sound!), "Bob Is My Guy", and "One Sweet Letter" (another duet with Joe; it's the original of the Ravens' "Write Me One Sweet Letter"). Note that Specialty, enamored of "That's The One For Me", also recorded it with Roy Milton and Camille Howard doing the duet.
Reported in several papers (such as the February 24, 1951 Chicago Defender) was the fact that Joe Liggins had set up his own publishing company:
Joe Liggins, of Honeydrippers fame, has formed the Joe Liggins Publications, BMI, and the Honeydrippers' Publications. Headquarters for the new venture is Los Angeles.
Liggins was inspired to take on the challenge for new faces, voices and songs.
One of the first artists signed by Liggins is Candy Rivers, a thrillingly throated songstress, from the Windy City, Chicago. Miss Rivers will soon be heard on records under the talented and experienced guidance of Maestro Liggins.
Why would Candy be signed to a publishing company? The only logical answer was that Liggins expected her to write songs. If so, he was disappointed; she never did. ["thrillingly throated"?!?!?]
The March 3, 1951 Billboard noted that Joe Liggins had signed a new 3-year contract with Specialty Records. It mentioned that "First Liggins releases since the re-signing were shipped this week [the press release was dated Feb. 24]. They are That's The One For Me and Bob Is My Guy. Sides feature vocals of Candy Rivers, ex-gospel warbler and latest Specialty acquisition. Liggins is one of label's top artists, his Pink Champagne taking top honors last year in the rhythm and blues field."
Candy's photo appeared in the March 9, 1951 Kansas City Call, with text that said she was signed "recently" by Liggins and had toured with him the previous summer. It also said: "Miss Rivers attracted attention through her appearances on Radio Station WCFL as a member of a Gospel Trio, the other members being her mother and sister [presumably Frances]." I thought it would be nice to find out the name of that trio, but I was unsuccessful.
The March 10, 1951 Chicago Defender spoke about, for some reason, goings-on in Hot Springs, Arizona:
The Allens of Little Rock have booked quite a few dances here [Hot Springs] for the season. The first was that of Joe Liggins' band, at Whittington Park. The rendition of "That's Enough For Me" by Candy Rivers, complete with cowboy hat and twin guns, was a wow.
The new record was reviewed in the March 31 editions of both Billboard and Cash Box:
That's The One For Me (BB; 82): Neat job of a standout novelty, but not as potent as the Roy Milton-Camille Howard job on the same label. Liggins and Candy Rivers do vocal honors. [Reviewed in the same issue, the Roy Milton/Camille Howard recording was rated an 89.]
Bob Is My Guy (BB; 74): Miss Rivers does a slow love ballad with style and a quality voice.
(CB; no ratings given): A tune that's kicking up a lot of fuss gets another going over, this time by Joe Liggins and Candy Rivers. The pair pour a lot of stuff into this item and it comes out ok. The second half finds Candy going it alone on a worthwhile ballad. Ops will want to take a listen.
Specialty hurried out another disc in April: "One Sweet Letter", backed with "Whiskey, Gin & Wine" (with vocal by Joe). They were reviewed in the April 14 Cash Box and the April 28 Billboard. Of "One Sweet Letter", they said:
(CB; no rating): On the second side, he [Joe] joins up with Candy Rivers for another big one.
(BB; 81): Leader and thrush Candy Rivers team on a punching novelty blues with a recurring tag as ork knocks out a driving shuffle boogie.
On May 1, 1951, the "Cavalcade Of Blues" appeared at the City Auditorium in Atlanta. For only $1.50 at the door ($1.25 in advance - "Tickets On Sale Usual Locations"), you could see Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Morris and his Band (featuring Laurie Tate and Billy Mitchell), and Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers (featuring Candy Rivers).
On May 20, the Liggins band was at the Airlane Club in Chillicothe, Missouri (bet you thought the only one was in Ohio). There was a write-up in the May 15 Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, which said, in part:
The band is on a cross-country tour now coming from Los Angeles and going to New York City, where they open a long tour of the East Coast. They open in the Apollo Theater May 31 for two weeks, with a big stage show with the King Cole Trio.
The girl vocalist is another top star - Candy Rivers. She is a West Coast favorite, although with the band less than six weeks. She has made many recordings with the band and her top tune is a slow blues turn, "I Got A Right To Cry", which is climbing fast.
I'm confused. Neither Liggins nor the King Cole trio played the Apollo the week of May 31 (let alone two weeks). Cole had been there the week of April 27, but Joe Liggins didn't appear at the Apollo at all in 1951 (nor anywhere else in New York). Then, there's "I Got A Right To Cry". That was a 1949 Liggins release, long before Candy joined; if she'd recorded a version, it was never released.
Note that it said she'd been with the band "less than six weeks". The June 7 Los Angeles Sentinel, talking about an upcoming dance at the Elks Auditorium, said: "Since Liggins and the Honey Drippers last appeared locally [at a March Of Dimes event in January], a lassie called Candy Rivers has been added to the aggregation." But remember, she was in a Liggins ad in July 1950.
On June 26, 1951, Candy and the Honeydrippers appeared on the Al Jarvis TV show over KLAC. The little blurb in the June 28 Los Angeles Sentinel also said that they did a session for Specialty "this week", at which they recorded "So Alone" and "Oh How I Miss You".
It's hard to reconcile verb tenses in blurbs. That one said "they did" a session, but those songs were actually recorded on the day the blurb was printed (28).
Back from their cross-country trip (which probably ended with a July 4 appearance at War Memorial Auditorium in Las Vegas), Joe and Candy appeared, on July 8, along with Lionel Hampton, Sonny Parker, Billy Eckstine, Roy Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Percy Mayfield, at the "Cavalcade Of Jazz" at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles (not the more famous one in Chicago). The June 28 Oakland Tribune told us that: "A feature of the program will be a disc jockey blues singing contest." Can't wait.
July 15 found the band at the Elks Auditorium in Los Angeles. In late August, they began a stay at the Club Oasis, also in L.A. One of the members of the Honeydrippers at the time was saxophonist Brother Woodman, who'll return to our story in a while. After that, they played two weeks at the Rossonian Lounge in Denver, followed by the Sports Center in Tucson on September 14. October 8 found them at the Clayton Club in Sacramento
In an October 11, 1951 Specialty session, Candy recorded "Rain-Rain-Rain" with the band.
Also in October, Specialty issued "Oh, How I Miss You" (with a vocal by Candy, although her name wasn't on the label). It was backed by Joe's "So Alone". The disc was reviewed in the October 27 Billboard:
Oh How I Miss You (84): A fine, romping blues is warbled strong and true by an unbilled thrush. Excellent performance and driving beat should make this an important coupling.
So Alone (83): Liggins comes up with a cornball dance bouncer which is kin to "Someday Sweetheart". He sings it. Should do well.
On November 16-17, the band appeared at the Lyric Theater in Louisville, along with dancer Bill Bailey (brother of Pearl Bailey). Then, it was on to Indianapolis, where they appeared at the Sunset Terrace Ballroom on Thanksgiving night (November 22). After that, it was the Roosevelt Theater (Pittsburgh) on November 28. Bill Bailey was still with them, and Jimmy "T-99" Nelson had been added.
December 3 found them at the V.F.W. Hall in Clarksville, Tennessee. The following night, they were at the Bijou Theater in Nashville. On December 14, they were at the Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City, along with Little Willie Littlefield.
In March 1952, Specialty released "Rain-Rain-Rain", with "Boogie Woogie Lou" (vocal by Joe Liggins) as the flip. All the March 29 Billboard had to say about "Rain" (74) was "Liggins group pounds this out in traditional style."
Once again, Candy's name wasn't on the label, which engendered a complaint in the March 29 Cash Box:
Joe Liggins, Specialty's little dividend check, has a girl singing on his latest sides, named Candy Rivers. Disc labels have been leaving this chirp's name off, but hope this will be remedied soon. Gal has a voice and could [sic] be featured.
On April 9, 1952 they appeared at the Armory in Jackson, Tennessee. April 26 found them at the Coliseum in Evansville, Indiana. The April 25 Evansville Press said: "A good share of Joe's popularity may be traced to the individual rating of his featured vocalist, Candy Rivers. She's been coming up fast with her unique thrushing and is about as big a drawing card as the band itself." On April 27, it was the Harlem Club in Brooklyn, Illinois.
She's not mentioned in Liggins ads again until September 14, when the band "Featuring 'Andy' Rivers - Vocalist" was at the Mambo Club in Wichita, Kansas. On November 1, 1952, they appeared at the Doris Miller Auditorium in Austin, Texas. As far as I can tell, Candy left the Honeydrippers after this. Although Joe Liggins made a lot of appearances in late 1952 and 1953, no further ads or blurbs mentioned Candy Rivers. (But don't despair quite yet.)
On January 26, 1954, Candy (as Vernetta Cartwright) married saxophonist William Barron "Brother" Woodman, Jr in Los Angeles. He no longer seemed to be with the Honeydrippers either. Brother Woodman, in a 1990 interview with Steven Isoardi, talked about her.
When I went down to rehearse with them, the woman I'm married to right now, she was singing with them. Candy. Her name is Vernetta [Cartwright Woodman], but Joe Liggins changed her name to Candy [Rivers]. She was originally with the band to go with them on the road, and that's where I met her, and that's where we got together, and boom, boom, later on we got married.
On March 12, 1954, Candy recorded one more tune with Liggins for Specialty: "Make Love To Me", a cover of Jo Stafford's #1 pop hit. It was a duet between her and Liggins, but his voice is dominant and you can barely hear her. Actually, if her name hadn't been on the label, I wouldn't have known it was her. It was released in April, with "Tears On My Pillow" (Joe Liggins vocal) as the flip.
On April 14, 17, 21, and 25, 1954, Candy appeared at The 49'er in El Monte, California. She was part of "Tommy Stewart and his original Jam Session, featuring Candy Rivers and Clora Bryant."
In between those appearances, this appeared in the April 17 San Francisco Examiner: "New music crew Monday at Fack's [in San Francisco] - Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers with chantoosey Candy Rivers." They started on Monday, April 19, and were still there on May 22 (but her name wasn't in any ads). However, this conflicts with the previous ads at the 49'er. Since she'd done that recording with Liggins the prior month, it was possibly an attempt to get back with him; but nothing came of it.
The April 24, 1954 Billboard gave "Make Love To Me" a 75, saying "The pop smash receives a swingy rendition from Liggins and thrush Candy Rivers over a happy backing from the Honey Drippers [sic]. Should get some juke coins." This was definitely the last time her name was associated with Liggins'.
On June 18, Candy was at The Lake in Long Beach. There was only a single ad.
At an unknown date (or dates) in 1954, Candy made some recordings for Jake Porter's Combo Records: "Hi Ho Silver", "Never Try To Fool Your Heart", "Baby I Don't Want You No More", "Please Be Kind", and "Shout, Shout, Shout".
Combo released "Hi Ho Silver" and "Never Try To Fool Your Heart" in August 1954, however they weren't reviewed in the trades. Label credit went to "Brother Woodman and Candy Rivers", but I don't understand why. The only vocal is by Candy and there's no significant sax work that could have been Woodman.
The other three tunes were never commercially released. "Baby I Don't Want You No More" and "Please Be Kind" are mostly unison singing, with Candy only soloing on a couple of lines. Basically jazz vocals, they have bassist Ralph "Chuck" Hamilton and Fletcher Smith's Squares. "Shout, Shout, Shout" is a duet between Candy and an unidentified male, who, I suppose, could have been Brother Woodman.
On December 3, 1954, Candy opened in a revue, called "Basin Street Holiday" at Club Oasis in Los Angeles; it would play for two weeks, until December 17.
Candy started off 1955 with some recording for the Flip label on January 18. The two known tunes were "Mambo Baby To-Nite" and "You Are The Only One". When the sides were released, in February, the labels credited "Candy Rivers With The Falcons" (although I can't hear a group at all on "You Are The Only One"). I'm sure they're the same Falcons that had "I Need You Darling", on Cash, that same month, as well as "Du-Bi-A-Do", on Flip, also the same month. The disc was reviewed in the April 9 Billboard:
You Are The Only One (70): The canary sings a rather slow-paced ballad with lush warmth and appealing sincerity.
Mambo Baby To-Nite (68): Another good performance by the thrush with okay mambo backing by the Falcons, a vocal group.
On July 17, 1955, Candy, along with the Charles Blackwell Trio, entertained at a Kappa Alpha Psi cocktail soiree.
In December, Candy gave birth to daughter Ayeesha Monique Woodman. There's nothing about Candy in all of 1956; she was probably taking care of her daughter.
Her only 1957 mention was an appearance in Gardena, California, as the singer with pianist Marl Young's trio. The March 14 California Eagle said that "He has added Candy Rivers as his new band canary." It didn't bother to mention where in Gardena they were playing and, since there were no ads, I don't know how long she was with Young.
Again, she disappeared for a long stretch, not re-emerging until New Year's Eve 1959, when she was at the Dinnerhorn in Pomona, California (east of Los Angeles). This time, she was with the Francis Carter Trio. They were either back there in mid-May 1960 or they had never left (although there were no ads in the interim). This time, however, they were mentioned up until June 18.
The November 16, 1961 Los Angeles Sentinel had this: "Smart affairs that crowded the Sunday calendar were those hosted by Ann Price for her gal pal, singer Candy Rivers' birthday and the successful record session hosted by Dooto Records prexy, Dootsie Williams." On December 9, Candy entertained at a fashion show held at Club Nite Life.
Beginning May 14, 1962, Candy appeared, along with organist Eddie Meikel, at the Organ Bar of the Shangri-La in Pico Rivera, California (southeast of L.A.). It said they were appearing Monday through Saturday, but there was only the one ad.
The May 17 Los Angeles Sentinel said: "Lush thrush Candy Rivers returns to the mike this week after a successful appearance on the Sunset Strip." I assume that's referring to the Shangri-La, engagement, but it didn't bother to say where on Sunset Strip she'd appeared before that.
Candy, along with Claude McLin and Lil Greenwood, entertained at the "Miss Perma-Hair" beauty pageant, held sometime in February 1963.
On January 16, 1964, there was an ad for Candy Rivers at the Rustic Room (Lakewood California), along with organist Milton Ramey. The last ad was on February 27.
And that was the last mention of Candy Rivers (or "Candy Woodman", or "Vernetta Woodman").
Vernetta Ada "Candy Rivers" Cartwright Woodman died on October 22, 2012 in Los Angeles. Sadly, I'm becoming used to there not being an obituary for someone I'm writing about, but in this case there was neither a California death record nor a Social Security death record. The date came from some online family trees, but I can't verify it independently. (Brother Woodman seems to have died on April 4, 2015, and the same applies to him.)
Never a real commercial success, Candy Rivers managed to remain on the scene for around 15 years. I wish I'd had more success at unraveling her beginnings, especially her early days with Joe Liggins.
SPECIALTY (Joe Liggins & His "Honeydrippers")
379 Daddy On My Mind (JL & CR) / [Little Joe's Boogie - (JL)] - 11/50
394 That's The One For Me (JL & CR) / Bob Is My Guy (CR) - 2/51
402 One Sweet Letter (JL & CR) / [Whiskey, Gin & Wine - (JL)] - 4/51
413 Oh, How I Miss You (CR, but her name isn't on the label) / [So Alone - (JL)] - 10/51
426 Rain-Rain-Rain (CR, but her name isn't on the label) / [Boogie Woogie Lou (JL)] - 3/52
492 Make Love To Me (JL & CR) / [Tears On My Pillow - (JL) - 4/54
COMBO (Brother Woodman and Candy Rivers)
65 Hi Ho Silver (CR) / Never Try To Fool Your Heart (CR) - ca 8/54
UNRELEASED COMBO (probably all recorded in 1954)
Baby I Don't Want You No More (CR)
Please Be Kind (CR)
both are mostly unison singing jazz vocals, with Candy only soloing on a couple of lines
Shout, Shout, Shout (duet between CR & ?)
FLIP (Candy Rivers With The Falcons)
302 Mambo Baby To-Nite (CR & Falcons) / You Are The Only One (CR) - 2/55
On "You Are The Only One", there doesn't seem to be a group, although the label says the Falcons are on it
CR = Candy Rivers
JL = Joe Liggins