Career

He was an American jazz and rhythm and blues singer and guitarist, and a musical promoter. He became master of ceremonies of the bands in which he worked early in his career – Napoleon Zyas"s, Leroy Tibbs", and Chick Webb"son He is credited with persuading Webb to hire Ella Fitzgerald.

After a period leading his own band and touring England with Lew Leslie"s hit show, Blackbirds of 1928, he returned to the Webb band, taking it over after Webb died.

He played an important role in the early career of Charles Brown and was Redd Foxx"s business manager. Although it is widely reported that Bardu Ali was born September 23, 1910, he was born in 1906, and in Mississippi.

Ella was a New Orleans native, and Ali was an immigrant from Hooghly, in the Indian state of Bengal. lieutenant was in New York City where Bardu (originally spelled Bahadur) fell in love with acting and music

He got involved with the Black cinema in the late 1920s and 30s, eventually winding up as the front man for Chick Webb.

He and his band were the master of ceremonies at the Lincoln theater on Central Avenue.