Julia Lee, one of the great female blues singers of all time, was a jazz vocalist and pianist born in Booneville, Missouri in 1902. She grew up in Kansas City and, as a young girl, performed with her father's string trio. When her brother George E. Lee formed His Novelty Singing Orchestra in 1920, she played piano and sang with the group. Known for her husky voice, easy style, and suggestive hit recordings with Capitol Records, she entertained fans for four decades.