Lottie Kimbrough was born in 1900 in Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoyed a
recording career between the years 1924 to 1929. She was a famously large
woman, nicknamed "the Kansas City Butter-ball", and throughout her career,
she recorded and performed under several pseudonyms. Half of her recordings
were released under her married name, Lottie Beaman, and on occasions she
spelt her surname Kimborough rather than Kimbrough. She also released
recordings or performed using the names Lena Kimbrough, Clara Carey and Mae
Moranc. She started performing
professionally in the early 1920's singing in the city's red light district
clubs and speakeasy's. She was often accompanied by her brother Sylvester,
and by the 'Pruitt Twins', Miles on guitar and Milas and banjo. She shared
her first recording session for Paramount with the legendary Ma Rainey in 1924, and also recorded the
following year with Papa CharlieJackson.
In the same year there followed recording sessions for the Kansas City based
Merrit Records, which was was owned by performer and promoter Winston
Holmes. The two soon began to collaborate further, recording in Richmond,
Indiana, and Holmes provided yodels, bird calls, and train whistles on the
1928 masterpieces "Lost Lover Blues" and "Wayward Girl Blues. She recorded
prolifically during this period, recording for Gennett, using her own
name, and under different other names she also recorded for Champion,
Supertone and Superior. She made her final recordings in 1929
and by 1930 Lottie Kimbrough had disappeared from the Kansas City music
scene.
Lottie Kimbrough was born in 1900 in Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoyed a
recording career between the years 1924 to 1929. She was a famously large
woman, nicknamed "the Kansas City Butter-ball", and throughout her career,
she recorded and performed under several pseudonyms. Half of her recordings
were released under her married name, Lottie Beaman, and on occasions she
spelt her surname Kimborough rather than Kimbrough. She also released
recordings or performed using the names Lena Kimbrough, Clara Carey and Mae
Moranc. She started performing
professionally in the early 1920's singing in the city's red light district
clubs and speakeasy's. She was often accompanied by her brother Sylvester,
and by the 'Pruitt Twins', Miles on guitar and Milas and banjo. She shared
her first recording session for Paramount with the legendary