Item talk:Q20655

Background

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was an all-women big band formed by the Piney Woods Country Life School in Piney Woods, Mississippi in the late 1930s. Founded by Laurence C. Jones, the Piney Woods boarding school sought to teach young African Americans a vocation, one of which was music. Performing around the country, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm enjoyed a high level of success. Although the band officially broke from the school in 1941, it continued to perform until 1949, with members of the band playing under the “Sweethearts” moniker even after the 1949 break-up.