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After her brief and turbulent stint with Jimmy Dorsey’s band, Ella Mae Morse returned to Dallas. She had been hired at thirteen, performed at the New Yorker Hotel in New York, and been fired within weeks after a difficult radio appearance. Consequently, she came back to Dallas devastated and uncertain about her future in music. Moreover, she spent approximately two years recovering her confidence and reconnecting with her love of singing. In addition, the Dallas music scene provided the environment she needed to rebuild herself as an artist. Furthermore, Deep Ellum, the legendary entertainment district just east of downtown, offered young musicians a world of inspiration and community.
Deep Ellum in the late 1930s was still one of the most vibrant music districts in Texas. Blues, jazz, gospel, and popular music filled the clubs, theaters, and street corners along Elm Street and Commerce Street. Moreover, the district had produced and nurtured some of the most important musicians in American music history, including Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lead Belly. In addition, the African American musical tradition of Deep Ellum had a profound influence on every artist who spent time in Dallas. As a result, the years Ella Mae spent in Dallas after the Dorsey experience deepened the blues understanding she had first gained from “Uncle Joe” in Paris, Texas.
Deep Ellum: Dallas and the Making of Ella Mae Morse
During her years recovering in Dallas, Morse continued to develop the vocal style that would eventually make her famous. Furthermore, the immersive musical environment of the city gave her time to grow as an artist without the pressure of the national stage. Indeed, many of the greatest performers in American music have needed a period of retreat and reflection before their breakthrough. Moreover, Dallas provided exactly that kind of space for Ella Mae Morse during a critical period in her development.
After her Dallas recovery, Morse and her mother eventually moved to San Diego, California. There, she met former Dorsey pianist Freddie Slack, who invited her to sing on a Capitol Records session. Consequently, that session produced “Cow Cow Boogie,” Capitol’s first gold single, and made Ella Mae Morse a star. Nevertheless, the Dallas years — both the triumph at the Adolphus Hotel and the difficult recovery in the shadow of Deep Ellum — were essential to everything that followed. Today, Deep Ellum celebrates its musical legacy with murals, live music venues, and festivals honoring the tradition Ella Mae Morse once walked through.
