Blue Lu Barker, the singer, was born in New Orleans, raised there, and buried there. Her funeral became a popular video broadcast that highlighted jazz funeral traditions. As with many Louisiana performers, claims about her paralyzing influence on the country’s blues and jazz scenes are made regularly. Blue Lu Barker’s story is one where jazz critics comment on her limited vocal range while others offer quotes like this one from Billie Holiday, who said that Blue Lu Barker was “my biggest influence.” She was a popular blues performer in both the ’30s as well as the ’40s, appearing often alongside musicians such as Cab Calloway or Jelly Roll Morton. Her husband Danny Barker was sometimes the one who allowed her to join musical groups like Sidney Bechet’s. But no bandleader ever had her thrown offstage when she tried to sing, especially after she began cutting hits records. Barker’s most well-known recordings were made in 1938. “Don’t you feel my leg” was a well-crafted song, which encouraged promiscuity and restraint at the same time. This is always a good thing in the music industry. Maria Muldaur gave the song a second boost in popularity in the 1980s. Barker’s early material features her husband playing banjo and guitar. The couple would continue to perform together until Barker’s death. After that, her career was continued all the way to a final recording recorded live at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1998. This is unless you include the video of her funeral, which is a powerful enough performance to be counted. The legendary Big Al Carson, a tuba player, is still present and jamming at the event. Barker was born Louisa Dupont Barker. Her father owned a grocery and a pool hall. They made a lot of money during prohibition by selling bootleg liquor. She married Barker when she was 13 years old. The couple made New York their home in 1930 and began to connect with a range of performing opportunities, including Morton. The 1938 Vocalion session was when she recorded her first vocals. Blue Lu Barker was the stage name that the producer gave her. They were signed to Decca in the 1930s and Apollo the decade after that, joining a roster which included rhythm.
