Biography:

Esther Lee Jones (born c. 1918, date of death unknown), known by her stage names “Baby Esther“, “Little Esther“, and other similar variations, was an American singer and child entertainer of the late 1920s, known for interpreting popular songs with a “mixture of seriousness and childish mischief”.^[1] After gaining attention in her hometown of Chicago, she became an international celebrity before leaving the public spotlight as a teenager.

In 1932, when singer Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios, claiming that they had appropriated her persona for the voice of the cartoon character Betty Boop, the studios defended themselves by arguing that Kane’s style of singing—characterized by her baby voice and use of the phrase “boop-boop-a-doop”—was not her own invention. Theatrical manager Lou Bolton testified during the Kane v. Fleischer trial that Kane saw Baby Esther’s cabaret act in 1928, in which Esther used interpolated words such as “boo-boo-boo” and “doo-doo-doo”.^[2] An early test sound film of Baby Esther’s performance was used as evidence.^[3] Other evidence introduced at the trial included a recording by the Duncan Sisters and testimony from performers such as Bonnie Poe, Margie Hines, and Little Ann Little, who testified that she had been singing in a baby voice and using interpolations such as “bo-de-o-do” for several years.^[4] The court ruled against Kane.^[2]

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