It is Black History Month and each day this month I am sharing stories from Canada's Black history.
Today it is Eleanor Collins! A celebrated jazz singer, she was the first Canadian woman to host a national TV show. She lived to 104 and was Canada's First Lady of Jazz.
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Today it is Eleanor Collins! A celebrated jazz singer, she was the first Canadian woman to host a national TV show. She lived to 104 and was Canada's First Lady of Jazz.
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At the age of 15, she won a talent contest in Edmonton.
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In 1942, she married Richard Collins. The couple remained married for 70 years and had four children.
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It was unsuccessful. Their children were also bullied in school.
To combat the racism, Collins volunteered at the school and taught music to the Girl Guides.
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This made her the first woman and first jazz singer to headline a show in Canada.
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During the 1950s and 1960s, she continued to perform around Canada with various bands.
In 1975, she performed at Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in front of 80,000 spectators.
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In the 1990s, she moved to Surrey, BC.
Collins has been honoured for her career throughout Canada. She is a member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. In 2014, she was awarded the Order of Canada.
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