Vaughn De Leath

Vaughn De Leath
Vaughn De Leath in the 1920s
Background information
Birth nameLeonore Vonderlieth
Born(1894-09-26)September 26, 1894
Mount Pulaski, Illinois, United States
DiedMay 28, 1943(1943-05-28) (aged 48)
Buffalo, New York, United States
GenresJazz, crooner, Dixieland, balladeer, musical comedy
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, radio performer, broadcasting executive
Years active1920s-1930s
LabelsVarious

Vaughn De Leath (September 26, 1894 – May 28, 1943) was an American female singer who gained popularity in the 1920s, earning the sobriquets "The Original Radio Girl" and the "First Lady of Radio." Although very popular in the 1920s, De Leath is obscure in modern times.

De Leath was an early exponent, and often credited as inventor, of a style of vocalizing known as crooning. One of her hit songs, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," recorded in 1927, achieved fame when it became a hit for Elvis Presley in 1960.