Chubby Kemp

By Marv Goldberg

© 2025 by Marv Goldberg

Since I recently wrote about Lu Elliott, who sang with Duke Ellington until being replaced by Chubby Kemp, I decided to find out something about Chubby. Not only should you read the Lu Elliott story first, but also the one I did on Mabel Scott (the reasons will soon become clear).

Odessa "Chubby" Kemp was born on September 11, 1922, in Detroit, to James Kemp and Hattie Northrip (not Northrop or Northrup). All her siblings were quite a bit older: sister Sallie was 18 years older (and was probably a half-sister), brother James was 10 years older; and sister Ethel was 12 years older (but the family wasn't counted in 1920, and there's no further trace of Ethel after the 1910 census). All the others were born in Mississippi, but the family had moved to Detroit by the time Odessa was born. (At the time of his September 1918 draft registration, James and Hattie "Kimp" were still living in Mississippi.)

There was nothing interesting in the 1930 census. Her first mention is in the "With Detroit's Smart Set" column in the March 12, 1938 Pittsburgh Courier. In it, we learn that Odessa Kemp is a member of the Cute Kittens Club.

Nothing interesting in the April 1940 census either, but that's all about to change.

On September 9, 1940, in Bowling Green, Ohio (about 85 miles from Detroit and south of Toledo), Odessa Kemp (laundress) married Eddie Wise (plasterer). She claimed that she'd turned 28 two weeks previously (August 26), in reality, she was just two days short of 18. She also said she was born in Rosedale, Mississippi (as Wise was), instead of Detroit. (I guess she was easily confused; her brother, James, had been born there.) However, she gave the correct names of her parents, so there's no question that it's her. Obviously, you didn't have to prove anything to be married in Bowling Green.

Don't look for too much marital bliss here: Odessa filed for divorce from Eddie on October 12, 1942 in Detroit. She claimed "cruelty", which was one of the few reasons for a divorce to be granted back then, and shouldn't be taken literally. The divorce was granted on January 29, 1943.

In the September 18, 1943 Michigan Chronicle, Odessa was pictured, along with brother James and his wife, Elsie, at a birthday party given for sister Sallie (who by now was Mrs. Eli Thompson).

From laundress to singer: the October 23, 1943 Billboard places Odessa Kemp at Lambert's Night Club in Toledo. This was echoed by the Afro-American, which, however, referred to her as "Chubby Kemp", the first mention of that name.

Get ready to catch the bouquet again. On January 3, 1944. Odessa Kemp married Richard Allen Spencer in Toledo. This time, she said she was a typist; he was a laborer of some sort. Odessa admitted to having been Mrs. Edward Wise, gave her correct birthday (September 11, 1922), and said she was born in Detroit. Don't get used to the honesty.

My guess is that the flowers hadn't completely wilted before she filed for divorce less than two months later, on February 28 (once again for "cruelty").

The divorce was final on July 20, just in time for her to marry Calvin Howard (who worked for a railroad), in Detroit, on August 19. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the marriage documents.

The July 14, 1945 Michigan Chronicle noted that Odessa Howard sang "Tabby The Cat" at a sorority cabaret party at the Twelve Horsemen's Civic Center.

An article in the September 8, 1945 Chronicle talked about a party attended by Mr. and Mrs. Calvin C. Howard (the marriage has lasted a whole year!); brother James is there too, as is sister Sallie and her husband, Eli Thompson.

Finally, an ad for an appearance: "Odessa Chubbie Kemp - song stylist" was at Detroit's Double Vee Bar on February 2, 1946. I could only find the one ad.


By late March, "Chubby Kemp - Sensational Torch Singer" was appearing at Club Moonglo in Buffalo, New York; she was last advertised on April 19. By mid-May, she was appearing at the Big Track in Norfolk, Virginia. After that, it was Ruby's 440 Club in Indianapolis (advertised on May 27). On August 31, Chubby ("swing singer") started three days at Club Owens in Detroit.

The day after that (September 3, 1946), Calvin Howard filed for divorce in Detroit, charging (what else?) "cruelty". At least this is a change from Chubby doing the filing.

No time to grieve. Chubby now became part of the "Jungle Jive Revue" (a Rollo S. Vest Enterprises production), which opened at the 161 Club (Buffalo, New York), on September 4. The September 7 Pittsburgh Courier characterized it as "a compact unit, carrying its own music, costumes, and props. It features five acts and four chorus girls." Although it was supposed to move on to the Cafe St. Michel, in Montreal, on September 16, it was held over, for another two weeks, at the 161 Club. As far as I can tell, it never made it to Montreal (or anywhere else, for that matter).

That pesky divorce from Calvin Howard was finalized on July 1, 1947, leaving Chubby free as a bird again.

Her only 1947 appearance I can find was at the Latin Club (Toledo), in mid-July. The blurb in the July 9 Toledo Blade, which announced she'd be there the following week, said she was "popular at this spot in the past", although I can't find any prior appearances there.

Chubby seemed to like Toledo. Aside from being a great place to get married, there were lots of clubs there. On May 14, 1948, she was at the Gay Nineties. Then, it was on to the Casanova Supper Club, where she started around July 1.

Late August found her back in Detroit, where she appeared at the Frolic Show Bar, along with Tina Dixon and Emile Jones. Chubby sang (at least) "Body And Soul" and "Good Deal". But they had to clear out by September 3, when T-Bone Walker breezed in.

1949 kicked off with Chubby appearing at the Club Trocaveria in Columbus, Ohio. Music was provided by the band of Van Walls (he of the tinkly piano). On to Marion, Ohio, where Chubby appeared at Sam's Nite Club in February. The February 11 ad called her "Delineator of songs and a pleasing bundle of personality". March 14 found her at Club Swing Bar in Dayton, Ohio, along with bassist Slam Stewart and trumpeter Snooky Young.

After that, Chubby became part of "Harlem In Havana", a Leon Claxton production, which was a segment of Royal American Shows (a traveling carnival company). The May 21, 1949 Billboard had a list of the entire troupe, although I never heard of any of the others. Not named on the list were comedians Patterson & Jackson, who appeared in ads and write-ups. (I can tell you that Wilbur J. Mobely was the cook and Shirley Cohen was the candy concessionaire, although you probably don't care overly much.) They were in St. Louis from mid-May to the end of the month, then on to 10 days in Davenport, Iowa, starting June 8. (If you're bored with "Harlem In Havana", the Royal company also included Gypsy Rose Lee and the Hollywood Monkey Circus.) Then, they snuck across the border: June 22 through July 2 brought them to Winnipeg, Manitoba; then, Calgary, Alberta (July 10-16); Edmonton, Alberta (July 18-23); Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (July 25-30); and Regina, Saskatchewan (August 1-6). Some write-ups said she'd come from the Club Zan-Za-Bar in New York, although there were no ads.

Back in the U.S. Of A., they were in Minneapolis from August 27 to September 6. Then, the Tulsa, Oklahoma State Fair (September 18-25); Jackson, Mississippi (October 10-17); the Louisiana State Fair, in Shreveport (October 22-31); and finally, Tampa, Florida (November 5-13).

On January 20, 1950, Duke Ellington began a stay at the Paradise Theater in Detroit. At the time, his "swing singer" was Lu Elliott. I suppose Chubby went there to audition for him and she was hired. Now, Ellington's singers were Lu Elliott, Kay Davis, Al Hibbler, and Chubby Kemp.

Chubby was first mentioned with Ellington in a review of a February 9 concert in The Auditorium, in Saginaw, Michigan. The February 10 Saginaw News said:

The Duke and his 15 terrific musicians gave out with some solid stuff in the second half of the program, featuring the boogie-woogie vocalizing of Chubbie Kent [sic] and the mad antics of trumpetman Ray Nance. A five-by-five female, Chubbie drove the audience frantic. She and Nance, who gave a knocked-out vocal-dance version of W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues", came close to stealing the show.

A couple of days later, Ellington took Chubby to a recording session with Mercer Records, recently set up by his son, Mercer Ellington. On February 11, 1950, probably in Detroit, she recorded: "The Greatest There Is", "Hello Little Boy", "Don't You Know I Care", and "I Got It Bad". Ellington's musicians on the session were: Billy Strayhorn (piano), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Sonny Greer (drums), and Wendell Marshall (bass)

After the band played Convention Hall in Enid, Oklahoma on February 14, 1950, the next day's Enid Morning News said: "Chubby Kemp barked the blues right out of New Orleans as she gave Sunny Side Of The Street and Hello Little One [sic]."

When they played Northrop Auditorium (Minneapolis), the February 17 Star Tribune had this: "She gives forth with about as exuberantly uninhibited vocal noises as there are on the current market and has such a wonderful time doing it that so do you."

On February 19, the band played Russ Auditorium in San Diego. Both Lu Elliott's and Chubby Kemp's names appeared, but Lu left the band after that.

When they played the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on February 20, the Los Angeles Daily News had this to say:

The Duke introduced a new vocalist, Chubby Kent [sic], who sings in a lusty, invigorating style. She went over well and should fit nicely with the band. [Don't feel bad about the misspelling. That text was directly under a photo of a new Hollywood starlet, "Gino Lollobrigida".]

The February 25 Los Angeles Tribune, in talking about that show (which the columnist didn't particularly like) said:

Which brings up to Chubby Kemp. Chubby was substituted for Lu Elliott, and if Ellington keeps her around and takes a good regular dose of her gutbucket common sense, she may restore the outfit's box office appeal.

She was like a letter from home as she waddled on stage and cut loose with the hipped lyrics of "Hello Little Boy". It was absolutely the first time I've ever seen the Ellington band completely shut out. Even the soloists looked intimidated by her as they crept out to the microphone where she jellied her belly and hips in time to the music. If she stays with the band, she ought to be subdued somewhat, but they'll love her in Texas, Duke, and as Texas goes, so goes the nation.

The February 23, 1950 California Eagle agreed:

Duke Ellington concert packed . . . didn't enjoy this concert as much, could be that there wasn't the usual dignity exhibited by the Ellington crew . . . Duke's new vocalist, Chubby Kemp, rocked the place with blues.

Next was L.A.'s Million Dollar Theater, starting March 1, for a week. The March 2 Los Angeles Daily News said (after praising Ellington):

Chubby Kemp, as the Duke would put it, is a hefty bit of musical terpsichore. She carries a lot of vocal weight and goes over in a big way. Something she sings sounds like "Bye, Bye, Baby", or "I Love You, But Get Out", which is close enough to guessing a title.

And, as long as they were still in Los Angeles, the band did a short film for Universal International, "A Salute To Duke Ellington". The soundtrack was recorded on March 6 (Chubby laid down her vocal to "Hello Little Boy" between 2:40 and 2:50) and the filming took place two days later (between 3:50 and 4:15). She received $110 for her two days' work. [Look, you need to know all this stuff.] The film was in theaters starting in late August.

On March 22, they were at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. "Chubby Kemp, new vocalist, supplied an element of comedy, along with [trumpeter Ray] Nance, when she danced and sang 'How High The Moon'.", said the March 31 Kansas City Call.

When the 1950 census was taken, in April, Chubby wasn't around in Detroit, although she was enumerated in her brother's household. But I don't think her brother and his wife were there either, since both James and Odessa were said to be from Alabama (he was actually born in Mississippi, she in Michigan). Odessa was "divorced; singer - orchestra". Note that another person in James Kemp's household was a roomer named Ezrom Reid, who was a "hooker" in an automobile factory (no idea what that is).

The reason Chubby wasn't around for the census was that the Ellington troupe had sailed to Europe, on March 29. A strange thing: the Ile de France manifest has her as "Odessa Reid". [You remember Ezrom Reid? From the prior paragraph? (You are paying attention, aren't you?)]. Why is it strange? Because she wasn't actually married to Reid [yet]! She returned, on the De Grasse, on June 29, also as Odessa Reid. I have to say that very little about Odessa's love life makes much sense.

While in Europe, the band appeared in Belgium (Brussels, Liege, Antwerp); France (Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nancy); The Netherlands (Amsterdam); Switzerland (Zurich, Geneva, Basel); Italy (Rome, Milan, Genoa); Germany (Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Heidelberg); Denmark (Copenhagen); and Sweden (Stockholm, Malmö). There were many other cities too. For example, Chubby appeared in Ellington's Frankfurt concert on May 27, singing "The Blues", and the Hamburg concert on May 29, singing "Hello Little Boy" and "Juke Bop Boogie".

In Copenhagen, on June 1, 1950, Chubby was part of a Johnny Hodges recording session for the Danish Tono Records. Chubby sang "Mellow Mood", "How I Wish I Was Around", and "I Met A Guy". The band consisted of: Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Harold Baker (trumpet), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Otto Francker (piano), Christian Jensen (bass), and Sonny Greer (drums).

These were soon released in Denmark; see discography. [Note: Her name appears as "Kemps" on the almost-unreadable labels.]


Back in the U.S., on July 18, 1950, Chubby was part of Ellington's appearance on "Cavalcade Of Bands", on the Dumont Television Network in New York. She sang "Hello Little Boy" by herself and "On A Turquoise Cloud" along with June Norton and Marion Cox. By now, Kay Davis had left the band; "On A Turquoise Cloud" was one of her specialty numbers.

They were at Lakewood Park (Pottsville, Pennsylvania) on July 27. The next day's Republican And Herald said: "Vocals by Al Hibbler, a blind singer with the band for eight years were pleasing, and Chubby Kemp, who comes from Detroit, handled the blues songs with rare artistry."

By the time that was printed, the band was at Club 86 (Geneva, New York) for three days. On August 18, they were at the Regal in Chicago. August 26-29 found them at the Paramount Theater in Buffalo, New York.

In spite of making the European trip as "Odessa Reid", she finally got around to marrying Ezrom Reid on September 1, 1950 (in Toledo, of course). She gave her correct birthday and said she was a singer (he was a laborer). However, Calvin Howard had somehow slipped her mind - she said she was divorced and her married name had been "Mrs. Richard Spencer". Either she's losing track of her husbands faster than you are, or there's something else going on here that I don't understand.

To celebrate the wedding, Mercer Records issued "Hello Little Boy", backed with "The Greatest There Is!", in September. It was the label's first release, credited to "Chubby Kemp with the Billy Strayhorn-Johnny Hodges Sextet". Note that, although the labels give songwriting credit to both Chubby and Duke Ellington, by the time they were registered with ASCAP, her name had magically disappeared from the credits.

The September 16, 1950 Billboard said: "Thrush Chubby Kemp left the Duke Ellington Band last week. Ellington opens a three-week stint at the Paramount October 13." But the October 6 Kansas City Call had this:

Duke Ellington may never want to admit that the power of a woman should never be underestimated, but 'tis a fact in anybody's book that when Chubby Kemp, his blues singer, stayed over in Detroit, her hometown, after asking for a few days off and being politely denied, the great Duke called long distance and the next thing anybody knew, Chubby was singing at the Apollo on their date here last week. All goes to show the unique understanding and regard for his workers' personal feelings and problems which has kept Duke on top of the heap all these years. [I honestly can't say I understand that paragraph; it seems to contradict itself.]

However, when Ellington played the Apollo Theater the week of September 14, 1950, her name was neither in the ad nor the write-up. But she was probably there, because she was around for another Mercer recording session, in New York, on September 21, 1950. It went like this:

"How Blue Can You Get", which had these musicians: Red Rodney (trumpet), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Billy Strayhorn (piano), Oscar Pettiford (cello), Wendell Marshall (bass), and Max Roach (drums).

"Mean Old Choo Choo" and "Me And My Wig" - same personnel as prior, except Duke Ellington was pianist, instead of Billy Strayhorn.

"Juke Bop Boogie" - same personnel as prior, but without Oscar Pettiford

The next day, they began a week at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C. (September 22-28, 1950). From October 5-16, they appeared at the Paramount Theater on Broadway. Then, it was the Royal Theater (Baltimore), along with Dusty Fletcher and his "Open The Door, Richard" routine. November 9-15 found them at Philadelphia's Earle Theater. Then, the Scollay Square Theater (Boston), starting November 22, and the Broadway Capitol Theater (Detroit), starting November 30, along with the Orioles. (Forget Ellington, forget the Orioles, I'm going to see Hammond's trained cockatoos.) From there, it was the W. K. Kellogg Auditorium in Battle Creek, Michigan on December 7 (yes, it was named for the Kellogg who started the cereal company). Chubby sang "Hello Little Boy", "The Greatest There Is", and "Boogie Woogie". The next day, the band started a week at the Chicago Theater. Chubby seems to have left the band after this show.

In March 1951, Mercer released "How Blue Can You Get", credited to "The Ellingtonians with Chubby Kemp". (The flip was a reissue of Sara Forde's "Set 'Em Up", which had originally been released within the prior couple of months. She'd go on to sing with Louis Jordan as "Valli Forde".) It was reviewed in the March 17 Billboard and the April 6 Down Beat:

(BB; 55) ... Miss Kemp and group fall short of a convincing blues feeling:

(DB: 5 out of 10): ... a typical simple blues written by Jane Feather and sung by Chubby Kemp in the accepted fashion that remains constant through the years except when a Holiday or Vaughan gets the blues. It seems funny to hear the suave Duke giving out with a blues piano accompaniment. Pettiford plucks his cello to get a blues guitar sound in one spot.

On July 12, 1951, Chubby joined Little Miss Cornshucks for a week at Detroit's Frolic Show Bar. Both were held over for an additional two weeks.


The last Mercer record was issued in September 1951: "Me And My Wig", coupled with "Juke Bop Boogie" (as "Chubby Kemp & Her All-Stars"). They were reviewed (very badly) in the November 16 Down Beat:

Too bad Miss Kemp was around when these were cut. Session would have been great had the band been allowed to blow sans singer. Members number Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Red Rodney, Oscar Pettiford (on cello), Wendell Marshall, Max Roach, and some strange cat named Edward Duke on piano. They say he also has a band of his own.

At any rate, just disregard the singing and get a few kicks from Pettiford on Wig and Red on both sides.

Bad as that review is, I hope Chubby didn't take it personally; many critics never wanted Ellington's music to be polluted by using any singers at all.

By July 1952, Chubby was back with Leon Claxton's "Harlem In Havana" segment of the Royal American Shows, touring with them for the season.

In early November, Chubby ("Exciting Jump Singer") was at Oliver's Night Club And Cocktail Lounge in Lima, Ohio. Later that month (the 27th), she joined the Clovers at Camp Breckinridge in Evansville, Indiana. The next night, both acts appeared at the Lyric Theater in Lexington, Kentucky, and then the Bijou in Nashville (Dec 2).

I don't know about you, but I think Chubby's been married to Ezrom Reid long enough. Sure enough on September 22, 1953, they were divorced.

But it can be lonely being a divorcee. Therefore, some 18 days later, on October 10, 1953, she married Jasper Boyd (in [ho-hum] Toledo). I imagine she was getting a discount on rice by now. She admitted to being an entertainer (he's an inspector in the auto industry), but said she was not previously married (so did Jasper, although he'd been married in 1946; maybe there was a law against being truthful on these forms).

Not much time for a honeymoon, she was at the Crystal Lounge (Detroit) from October 17 through November 7. Also there was Emitt Slay and his combo. By November 22, Chubby was starring at the Club Moonglo in Buffalo, New York.

Another year; another summer; another tour with Royal American Shows and "Harlem In Havana". They did the usual circuit of Davenport, Iowa, various cities in Canada, the Minnesota State Fair, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Chubby closed out the year at the Ebony Lounge in Cleveland. Their December 18 ad said "Blues Singer Featured With Duke Ellington In 1950". This is unusual for an ad, they're generally so vague as to make you think the association was still going yesterday.

On February 26, 1955, Chubby was at Lee's Club Sensation in Detroit, along with the Melotones ("Detroit's Famous Recording Quartet"). Presumably that's Jerry Carr's group ("Father Time" on Lee Tone). Back to the standard "Formerly With Duke Ellington's Band".

In mid-April, Chubby was at the Montmartre in Montreal. It's the last ad that mentions her that year.


From at least February 11-March 10, 1956, she was at Little Sam's Bar in Detroit, but that was the only mention of her that year. She's not heard from again until October 1957, when she was at Detroit's Club El Sino.

And another year goes by before we catch up with her again. In late September, 1958, she was advertised as being at the Broadway Brass Rail in Los Angeles. Also on the bill was Mabel Scott. I'm sure they compared notes, with Chubby being the loser. (On September 21, Mabel had wed husband number seven; Chubby was only on number five. But stay tuned.)

The September 25, 1958 California Eagle said "Winsome Chubby Kemp, formerly with the Duke Ellington aggregation, is shouting her blues ballads like there's no tomorrow and not too much left of today. . . . Oaah Whee, baby, you sure sound good to me !!!!!" By October 2, she'd switched over to boxing referee Dynamite Jackson's Westside Cocktail Lounge in L. A.

But Chubby would never catch up with Mabel Scott if she did nothing but sing. So, on October 6, 1958, Odessa Kemp married number six, James W. Oliver, in Los Angeles. We now know that Jasper Boyd was gone, although I can't find a divorce record. Unfortunately, "James W. Oliver" is a fairly common name and I don't know anything about him, except that he said he was also born in 1922 (and that the marriage didn't last very long; were you really expecting it to?).

On April 18, 1959, Chubby was at the Driftwood Lounge in Detroit's 20 Grand Recreation Center. Also on the bill were Stanley Mitchell's Tornados (although the ad called them the "Toranados").

After this, Chubby went out to the Northwest, but the only advertised engagement was at the Ozark Club in Great Falls, Montana, from August 22 through November 7.

But wait! Why be all the way out there alone? On November 21, 1959, she married Marvin Thomas Curtiss in Stevenson, Skamania County, Washington, although both gave Portland, Oregon addresses (she's a vocalist; he's a pilot). She said she'd been divorced on September 22, 1953 (even though that was from Ezrom Reid, not Jasper Boyd or James W. Oliver). Marvin was 16 years younger than Odessa (although he lied and said 14).

However, Marvin T. Curtiss had recently married Alberta Jackson Godine (23 years his senior), in Jackson, Missouri, on July 15, 1959, although, when he married Odessa, he said he'd been divorced in 1956 (probably true, since he said he was divorced when he married Alberta). Had Odessa finally met her match?

This was actually a turning point in Odessa Kemp's life: with Marvin as her seventh husband, she was now tied with Mabel Scott!

The May 28, 1960 Michigan Chronicle said: "Singer Chubby Kemp back in town to stay, after nine months in Portland, Oregon. By the way, she brought her new husband with her. He is a pilot, so she'll always be up in the air." However, other than the marriage, there's no trace of her in either Oregon or Washington.

A few days later, she began a stay at the Pink Poodle in Indianapolis, headlining the show. On July 2, she was back at the 20 Grand Recreation Center in Detroit. Then, she was at Cathy's Colonial, in Toledo, beginning September 26. And back across the border to appear at the Warwick Hotel, in Toronto, in mid-October.

Anybody remember husband Marvin T. Curtiss? I guess Chubby didn't either. On July 31, 1961, she married Clarence Isabell, Jr in (wait for it...) Toledo. Once again, she says she's a typist; he's a musician. (From 1959 to 1962, he was the bassist for Motown's Funk Brothers, used as background on most Motown recordings up to 1972.) Forgetting about Jasper Boyd, James W. Oliver, and Marvin Curtiss, she gave her former married name as Mrs. Ezrom Reid and said she was only previously married once. [Note that Clarence's name is constantly misspelled as "Isabel". And, as I said back in the Eddie Wise days, you obviously didn't have to prove very much in order to get married.]

There must have been cheering and celebrations all throughout Detroit: with Clarence as her eighth mate, Odessa had now passed Mabel Scott's body count!

Chubby's photo was in the October 7, 1961 Michigan Chronicle, along with that of Benny Jones, owner of Linwood Music Studios, where she was taking piano and conga drum lessons.

The July 28, 1962 Michigan Chronicle had this: "Chubby Kemp and husband Clarence Isabell, bassist with Dorothy Ashby, sat in with Duke Ellington during the great one's stay here. Chubby warbled a few tunes." Presumably Clarence was now gone from the Funk Brothers. Dorothy Ashby was a singer, harpist, and pianist, who had a trio for most of 1962.

A short reunion: on August 26, 1963, Duke Ellington was at the Michigan State Fair Grounds in Detroit. The afternoon concert featured Chubby Kemp singing "Walkin' And Singin' The Blues".

The next time she ("singer and pianist") appeared was at Stanley's Circus Lounge (Detroit) on March 20, 1964 for two weeks. She'd be back there in May.

December 1964 found her at the Crossroads Cocktail Lounge in Nankin, Michigan. She was advertised as "Chubby Kemp And Her Duo", but nothing said who the other half was. I suppose it could have been Clarence Isabell.

1965 was another year with a distinct absence of Chubby. She isn't heard from again until April 20, 1966, when she was at Detroit's Shadow Box Lounge ("songs with intimate atmosphere"). She was advertised through May 28. On June 11, through the end of the month, she appeared at the Chapeau Vert (Detroit).

She then disappeared until February 7, 1967, when she started in the piano bar of Detroit's Wonder Bar. The engagement lasted two months. But then, she wasn't heard from again until September 29, 1968, when she was at the Sand Box Lounge; there was only the one ad.

Then, six years of nothing. From 1969 through 1974, there isn't a single trace of Chubby.

On December 7, 1975, she entertained at the golden wedding anniversary of Clarence's parents. Since she was invited to entertain, I assume that they were still married. That's 14 years for all those keeping track.

According to the February 27, 1976 Detroit Free Press:

After many years, [cornetist] Tom Saunders and his Surf Side Six are adding a vocalist, starting Monday night [March 1] at the Presidential Inn in Southgate [a Detroit suburb].

She is Lovie Kemp, who toured two years with the late Duke Ellington under the name of Chubby Kemp. And she was chubby.

Then she joined Weight Watchers, pared off some 80 pounds, and now qualifies as Lovie.

The Surf Side Six was a Dixieland Swing band. From 1974 to (at least) 1981, Clarence Isabell was the group's bassist.

Chubby (as Lovie) started with the Surf Side Six at the Presidential Inn on March 1, 1976; the last ad to mention her was on July 9. Actually, that was also the last ad to mention the Surf Side Six; only Tom Saunders and his coronet were named from then on.

There were no further mentions of Odessa "Chubby" Kemp under any name.

Chubby Kemp passed away, in Detroit, on November 6, 1980, as Odessa Isabell. As is all too common, there's no obituary that I can find.

Were she and Clarence still married at the time of her death? For two reasons, I'll say "no". First is, of course, her track record. More important, Clarence remarried (Jean Eleanor Flesher). When Jean died, on December 30, 2012, her obituary said that Clarence was "her beloved husband of over 31 years". Exactly 31 years would have been sometime in 1981; over 31 years could be sometime in 1980. So, the best we can say is that either he and Chubby were divorced sometime between 1976 and 1980, or he couldn't wait to marry again after she died.

In conclusion, although I like Chubby's voice (in her minimal output), I loved researching her more. You learn a lot about marriage this way (although not much about how to keep one going).


Special thanks to Ezio Chiarelli and Charlie Dyson of ellingtonia.com, and Evelyn Ali (Odessa's sister-in-law's sister's grand-daughter).


TONO (DENMARK)
18079 Mellow Mood / [Tea For Two - Instrumental] - 50
18080 I Met A Guy / How I Wish I Was Around - 50
            All as Johnny Hodges And His All-Stars Orchestra; vocal: Chubby Kemps [sic]

MERCER
M-1950 Hello Little Boy / The Greatest There Is! - 9/50
            Above as Chubby Kemp with the Billy Strayhorn-Johnny Hodges Sextet
M-1960 How Blue Can You Get / [Set 'Em Up - Sara Forde] - 3/51
            Above as The Ellingtonians with Chubby Kemp
M-1971 Juke Bop Boogie / Me And My Wig - 9/51
            Above as Chubby Kemp & Her All-Stars

   UNRELEASED MERCER
      Don't You Know I Care (recorded February 11, 1950)
      I Got It Bad (recorded February 11, 1950)
      Mean Old Choo Choo (recorded September 21, 1950)