Connee Boswell, American jazz singer (d. 1976)

Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American female vocalist born in Kansas City but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s as the trio The Boswell Sisters. They started as instrumentalists but became a highly influential singing group via their recordings and film and television appearancesConnee herself is widely considered one of the greatest jazz female vocalists and was a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald, who said, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it... I tried so hard to sound just like her." In 1936, Connee's sisters retired and Connee continued on as a solo artist (having also recorded solos during her years with the group).