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Ruth Olay (1924–2021), jazz singer of the 1950s and ‘60s
Ruth Olay was a jazz singer who worked with notable musicians including Duke Ellington (1899–1974) and Benny Carter (1907–2003).Though she learned piano as a child and became a piano prodigy, Olay turned to singing as a young woman, and it was with her voice that she made a name for herself in the jazz world. She began singing under the name Rachel Davis and became a popular fixture of Los Angeles jazz clubs, with fans who attended her shows including Judy Garland (1922–1969), Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), and Barbra Streisand.
