Cab Calloway was one of the most colorful and popular entertainers of the 30s and 40s. Calloway hit the big time with “Minnie the Moocher” (1931) … a number one song that sold more than a million copies. The tune’s famous call-and-response “hi-de-hi-de-ho” chorus was first improvised when Cab couldn’t remember a lyric and it became his signature phrase for the rest of his career. His abundant scat-singing was perfected with coaching from none other than Louis Armstrong, the master of non-lyric lyrics.
Move over Michael Jackson because Cab Calloway was more than just a singer and bandleader. His ‘dance’ moves, including early moonwalking, were so popular with the crowd that he became a regular at Harlem’s Cotton Club. Cab’s moves were accurately captured on film for a 1932 ‘Betty Boop’ cartoon, as demonstrated in the video below! Michael J. may have popularized such gyrations during the 60s and 70s but Calloway came first!
