Florence Mills: The Queen of Jazz (January 25, 1896 – November 1, 1927)

Florence Mills, born Florence Winfrey, known as the “Queen of Happiness“, was an African-American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian known for her effervescent stage presence, delicate voice, and winsome, wide-eyed beauty. Exhausted from more than 250 performances of the hit show Blackbirds in London in 1926, she became ill with tuberculosis. Her condition further weakened her, and she died of infection following an operation at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. Most sources, including bla