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Hadda Brooks, born on October 29, 1916, in Los Angeles, California, was an American pianist and vocalist, famously nicknamed the Queen of the Boogie. With a classical training background, she made her mark in rhythm & blues and jazz. Brooks had cameo appearances in several films, including "In a Lonely Place" (1950), which starred Humphrey Bogart. Notably, in 1951, she became the first African American woman in the U.S. to host a television variety show on Channel 13 in Los Angeles. She developed a close friendship with Billie Holiday, which began when Holiday offered Brooks a smoke of her joint in the ladies' room. After a lengthy hiatus from performing, Brooks experienced a career revival in 1987 and was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993. Hadda Brooks passed away on November 21, 2002, in Los Angeles, California.

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