{{Short description|American jazz musician (1937–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} '''Toni Harper''' (June 8, 1937 – February 10, 2023),<ref name="Legacy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/toni-harper-dunlap-obituary?id=49492205|title=Toni Harper-Dunlap Obituary (1937 - 2023) - Legacy Remembers|website=Legacy.com|access-date=September 14, 2023}}</ref> also known as '''Toni Dunlap''', was an American former child singer who retired from performing at the age of 29.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last1=Seida|first1=Linda|title=Toni Harper {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/toni-harper-mn0000616072/biography|website=AllMusic|access-date=September 28, 2016}}</ref>
After learning dance under Maceo Anderson, Harper was cast by the choreographer Nick Castle in ''Christmas Follies'', at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in 1945. She later went on to perform on stage with Herb Jeffries and Cab Calloway.<ref name="allmusic" />
Harper performed at the third annual Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. on September 7, 1947. Woody Herman, The Valdez Orchestra, The Blenders, T-Bone Walker, Slim Gaillard, The Honeydrippers, Sarah Vaughan and the Three Blazers also performed that same day.<ref>"Woody Herman, 3 Blazers, T-Bone, Others on Program" Review by Eddie Burbridge The California Eagle September 4, 1947.</ref> She came back to perform for the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert on June 1, 1952. Also featured that day were Roy Brown and His Mighty Men, Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Josephine Baker.<ref>"Largest Jazz Cavalcade in History To Feature Nation's Top Entertainers" Article The California Eagle May 29, 1952.</ref>
Harper recorded "Candy Store Blues" in 1946, which became a platinum record, appeared twice on ''Toast of the Town'' (later The Ed Sullivan Show) in 1949, and made her third and final appearance on the show in 1950.<ref name="TVnotify">{{cite web|url=http://tvnotify.com/shows/1361|title=The Ed Sullivan Show|year=2008|access-date=February 17, 2009|website=Tvnotify.com}}</ref>
After success as a child singer, Harper recorded her first album, ''Toni'', for Verve Records in 1955, with the Oscar Peterson Quartet. She made two further albums, arranged by Marty Paich, ''Lady Lonely'' (1959) and ''Night Mood'' (1960),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3051966-Toni-Harper-Night-Mood|title=Toni Harper - Night Mood|date=September 14, 1960|access-date=September 14, 2023|website=Discogs.com}}</ref> for RCA Victor. Harper toured Japan with Cannonball Adderley in 1963,<ref>Sheridan, Chris. (2000). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Y2F1e-A_GpkC&dq=toni+harper&pg=PA145 Dis Here: A Bio-discography of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley]''. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 145. {{ISBN|978-0-313-30240-4}}. Google Book Search. Retrieved on February 17, 2009.</ref> and appeared in the film ''How to Stuff a Wild Bikini'' (1965),<ref name="allmovie">[http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:23699~T2] {{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref> before retiring from performing in 1966.
Toni Harper died on February 10, 2023, near her home in Palm Springs, California.<ref name="Legacy"/> She was 85 years old.
==Discography== * 1956 ''Toni'' (with the Oscar Peterson Quartet) * 1957 ''Here Come The Girls!'' (with The Buddy Bregman Orchestra) * 1959 ''Lady Lonely'' (with Marty Paich & Orchestra) * 1960 ''Night Mood'' (with Marty Paich & Orchestra) * 1988 ''Candy Store Blues'' (compilation)
'''With Dizzy Gillespie''' * ''Jazz Recital'' (Norgran, 1955)
'''With Harry James''' *"Baby Blues" and "Peculiar Kind Of Feeling" on Columbia 39390 (1951)<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Record Reviews |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LR8EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22harry+james%22+%22toni+harper%22+peculiar&pg=PA84 |magazine=Billboard |page=84 |date=May 26, 1951 |access-date=March 22, 2017 }}</ref> *"Blacksmith Blues" and "Don't Send Me Home" on Columbia 39671 (1952)<ref name="COL39500">{{cite web |url=http://www.78discography.com/COL39500.htm |title=COLUMBIA (Microphone label, USA) 39500 to 40000 Numerical Listing |publisher=78discography.com |access-date=January 10, 2016}}</ref> *"Melancholy Trumpet" on Columbia 39846 (1952)<ref name="COL39500"/> *"Fruit Cake" on Columbia 39877 (1952)<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Record Reviews |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RyAEAAAAMBAJ&q=harry+james+39877+fruit+cake&pg=PA44 |magazine=Billboard |page=44 |date=October 18, 1952 |access-date=March 28, 2017 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, Toni}} Category:1937 births Category:2023 deaths Category:African-American women singers Category:American jazz singers Category:American child singers Category:Columbia Records artists Category:American women jazz singers Category:Jubilee Records artists Category:RCA Records artists Category:Singers from Los Angeles Category:American torch singers Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Verve Records artists Category:Jazz musicians from California