Lizzie Miles (March 31, 1895 – March 17, 1963) was born on Bourbon Street and she was singing with the New Orleans Jazz bands of King Oliver, Kid Ory and A.J. Piron while she was still a teenager. She worked as a song plugger for Clarence Williams’ and A.J. Piron’s publishing company and toured the southern vaudeville circuit, worked in a circus and with minstrel shows, before moving to Chicago in the early 1920s. In Chicago she performed with Elgars Creole Orchestra, Freddie Keppard and with King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band.

By 1922 Miles had relocated to New York where she began her recording career in 1922 and played clubs and cabarets with the Sam Wooding Orchestra and with Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra. In 1924 she toured Europe and played in Paris at Louis Mitchell’s club Chez Mitchell and other venues for the next couple of years.

In 1927 she returned to New York where she spent most of the remainder of the 1920s and 1930s. She performed in clubs around the city with numerous acts that included groups led by Fats Waller and Paul Barbarin. In the late 1930s, Miles returned to New Orleans and left show business until the l950s when she resumed her career performing and recording with the Bob Scobey Band until she retired in 1959. Miles died of a heart attack in 1963. Lizzie Miles was the half sister of Blues singer Edna Hicks and trumpet player Herb Morand. Some of Lizzie Miles’ records were released under the pseudonyms of Mandy Smith and Jane Howard.

Thanks to Owen Miller for his help with some of the recordings on this page.

Title	Director	Year
The Stardust Ring		193?
Tip Tap Toe		1932

 

Title	Recording Date	Recording Location	Company
Aggravatin’ Papa (Roy Turk / J. Russel Robinson)	2-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10586
A Good Man Is Hard To Find (2) (Eddie Green)	2-29-1928	New York, New York	Conqueror 7185
A Good Man Is Hard To Find (3) (Eddie Green)	2-29-1928	New York, New York	Conqueror
Banjo Papa	5-2-1928	New York, New York	Domino
Black Man (Be On Yo’ Way) Piano by Spencer Williams (Spencer Williams)	6-18-1923	New York, New York	Brunswick 2462-B
Cotton Belt Blues Piano accomp. Clarence Johnson (Spencer Williams)	7-19-1923	New York, New York	Victor 19124-B
Done Throwed Away The Key Away (Harold Gray)	2-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23306-B
Don’t Let Your Love Come Down (Andy Razaf)	11-13-1927	New York, New York	Banner 7025
Don’t Tell Me Nothin’ ‘Bout My Man (Jelly Roll Morton)	12-11-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38571-B
Electrician Blues (Andy Razaf)	1-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23306-A
Family Trouble Blues (Olman J. Cobb)	5-24-1923	New York, New York	Columbia A3920
Four O’Clock Blues (Johnny Dunn / Gus Horsley)	2-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10586
Good Time Papa	1-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23306
Grievin’ Mama Blues (Tom Delaney)	3-18-1927	New York, New York	Okeh 8456-A
Haitian Blues (Lizzie Miles / Spencer Williams)	3-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10613
Haitian Blues Clarence Johnson at the Piano (Lizzie Miles / Spencer Williams)	4-25-1923	New York, New York	Columbia A3897
He May Be Your Man, But He Comes To See Me Sometimes (From Musical Comedy “Plantation Revue”) (Lemuel Fowler)	7-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8037-A
He’s My Man	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05260
He’s Red Hot To Me	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05325
He Used To Be Your Man But He’s My Man Now Accompanied by Rickett’s Stars	2-1923	New York, New York	Okeh 8048-A
Hold Me Parson (Lizzie Miles)	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05325
Hot Lips (Henry Busse / Jack Lange / Lou Davis)	9-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8040
If You Can’t Control Your Man	1-4-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7048-B Conqueror 7084
I Hate A Man Like You (Jelly Roll Morton)	12-11-1929	New York, New York	Victor V-38571-A
Keep Knockin’ No. 2 (But You Can’t Come In) (Wiggins)	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05165 Conqueror 9357
Keep Yourself Together Sweet Papa (Mama’s Got Her Eyes On You) (Spencer Williams)	7-19-1923	New York, New York	Victor 19158-A
Lonesome Ghost Blues (Andy Razaf)	1-4-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7048-A
Lonesome Monday Morning Blues	8-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8039-B
Mean Old Bedbug Blues (Jack Wood)	10-12-1927	New York, New York	Banner 6117 Conqueror 7182 Domino 1055-B
Mellow Rhythm	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05260
Muscle Shoals Blues (George W. Thomas)	2-24-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8031-A
My Dif’rent Kind Of Man (Jack Palmer)	6-30-1928	New York, New York	Columbia 14335-D
My Man O’ War	1-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23281
My Pillow And Me Piano by Clarence Johnson (Tim Brymn / Chris Smith / Clarence Williams)	6-18-1923	New York, New York	Brunswick 2462-A
Nobody Shows What My Baby Shows (Andy Razaf)	2-29-1928	New York, New York	Banner
Please Don’t Tickle Me, Babe (Q. Roscoe Snowden)	8-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8039-A
Police Blues	11-13-1927	New York, New York	Conqueror 7082
Second Hand Daddy (Jackson)	2-29-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7075 Conqueror 7185
Shake It Down	5-2-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7128
She Walked Right Up And Took My Man Away (Lizzie Miles / Babe Thomas / Spencer Williams)	2-24-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8031-B
Shootin’ Star Blues (Porter Grainger)	1-4-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7025
Slow Up Papa (Andy Razaf / Paul Denniker)	3-18-1927	New York, New York	Okeh 8456-B
State Street Blues (Babe Thomas / Spencer Williams)	3-11-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8032-A
Stranger Blues (Williams)	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05392
Sweet Smellin’ Mama (Poro Blues) Accompanied by Rickett’s Stars (Trebor Rollins / Bob Miller)	2-1923	New York, New York	Okeh 8048-B
Sweet Smellin’ Mama (Poro Blues) Clarence Johnson at the Piano (Bob Miller)	4-25-1923	New York, New York	Columbia A3897
Take It, ‘Cause It’s All Yours	9-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8040
That’s Alright Daddy	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05165 Conqueror 9357
Twenty Grand Blues	10-7-1939	New York, New York	Vocalion 05392
Tell Me Gypsy	2-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10603
The Black Bottom Blues Accompanied by Rickett’s Stars (Eddie Heywood)	2-1923	New York, New York	Okeh 8050-B
The Man I Got Ain’t The Man I Want	2-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23281
The Trixie Blues (Trixie Smith)	2-1923	New York, New York	Okeh 8049-A
The Yellow Dog Blues (W.C. Handy)	2-1923	New York, New York	Okeh 8052
Too Slow Blues	2-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor 23298
Trifflin’ Man (Bob Miller)	5-24-1923	New York, New York	Columbia A3920
Virginia Blues (Ernie Erdman / Fred Meinken)	3-11-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8032-B
When You Get Tired Of Your New Sweetie (Lester Miller)	11-13-1927	New York, New York	Oriole 1118 (b) Banner 6162 Conqueror 7084 Domino 4099-A
Wicked Blues (Perry Bradford)	7-1922	New York, New York	Okeh 8037-B
Yellow Dog Gal Blues	2-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor
You Ain’t Had No Blues	1-27-1930	New York, New York	Victor
You Can’t Have It Unless I Give It To You (Andy Razaf)	10-12-1927	New York, New York	Oriole 1118 (a) Conqueror 7082 Domino 4099-B
You’re Always Messin’ Round With My Man Piano accompaniment – Clarence Johnson (Spencer Williams)	5-23-1923	New York, New York	Victor 19083-B
Your Such A Cruel Papa To Me (A.J. Piron)	6-30-1928	New York, New York	Columbia 14335-D
Your Time Now	3-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10613
Your Worries Ain’t Like Mine	5-2-1928	New York, New York	Banner 7128
You’ve Gotta Come And See Mama Every Night (Billy Rose)	2-1923	New York, New York	Emerson 10603

Artist	Instrument
Harry Brooks	Piano
Teddy Bunn	Guitar
Pops Foster	Bass
Porter Grainger	Piano
Charlie Grimes	Alto Saxophone
Harry Hicks	Trombone
Charlie Holmes	Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Louis Hooper	Piano
Cliff Jackson	Piano
Clarence Johnson	Piano
Louis Metcalf	Cornet
Bass Moore	Tuba
Jelly Roll Morton	Piano
King Oliver	Cornet
Bob Ricketts	Piano
Albert Socarras	Alto Saxophone, Flute
Elmer Snowden	Banjo
Clarence Williams	Piano