Background
Ada Leonard was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on July 22, 1915.
Ada Leonard was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on July 22, 1915.
She was the leader of the All-American Girl Orchestra, the first all-girl group to tour with the United Service Organizations during World World War World War II The big-band band leader was a performer with a background in musical performance. Her father was an actor, and her mother a dancer who also played several different musical instruments. Before she embarked on her career as a big band leader, she performed as a burlesque dancer.
While Leonard played the cello and the piano, she did not play either instrument professionally.
The Ada Leonard Orchestra was the first all-girl band officially signed by the United Service Organizations, and they performed at army camps throughout the United States during World World War World War II From 1952 to 1954, she hosted a variety show on television and subsequently went on to realize her ambition of leading an all-male big band. She died in Santa Monica, California on November 27, 1997, at the age of 82.