Women's History Month - Pioneers of Hoosier Music

March 13, 2024

This week on Cultural Manifesto, celebrate Women’s History Month by learning about the women pioneers of Hoosier music, including Vivian Carter, Dena El Saffar, Mary Byrne, Priscilla Mclean, Margaret Hills and Anna Mae Winburn.

Vivian Carter was a legendary disc jockey and co-founder of Gary, Indiana’s Vee Jay Records. Vee Jay released hit songs by artists including The Impressions, The Dells, Gladys Knight, John Lee Hooker, and Gene Chandler. Vee Jay also issued significant jazz and gospel titles, including the first full-length LP by the Staple Singers, and Wayne Shorter’s debut album as a leader. In February of 1963 Vee Jay became the first American record label to issue music from The Beatles. Vee Jay’s release of ”Please Please Me” pre-dated The Beatles’ first Capitol Records release by a year.

Mary Byrne is the founder of Labyris, an influential feminist lesbian bar that operated in Downton Indianapolis from 1978-1984. During the 1980s, Byrne also served as director of the National Women’s Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. Byrne’s work creating stages for women performers in Indiana was unprecedented at the time, and remains a significant achievement in the history of Indiana music.

Anna Mae Winburn was raised in Kokomo, Indiana. Winburn gained international notoriety as the bandleader and vocalist for the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a trailblazing multi-racial, all female big band that was active from 1937 to 1949. 

The multi-instrumentalist and composer Dena El Saffar is the founder of Salaam, a Bloomington-based Middle Eastern music ensemble. The music of Salaam draws from El Saffar’s Iraqi heritage. For over 30 years, Salaam have educated audiences around the country about the music and culture of Iraq. 

Kokomo, Indiana's Margaret Hillis was an influential figure in American choral music and a trailblazing pioneer for women in classical music. Hillis is best remembered as the founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, she led the ensemble from 1957 to 1994. Hillis’ work with the chorus earned her nine Grammy Awards. 

Composer Priscilla Mclean studied electronic music at IU Bloomington during the late 1960s. During the 1970s, Mclean created groundbreaking electronic music works at IU South Bend. Mclean was among the first Hoosier women to attain national notoriety in the world of electronic music.