Irene Daye on the cover of Down Beat, Aug 1, 1945
Irene Daye, who sang “Drum Boogie” with Krupa in 1941, was born in Lawrence, Mass on January 17, 1918. We don’t know much about her. Daye started with Dan Murphy’s Musical Skippers in 1935, and had to take a night off in order to attend graduation ceremonies at Lawrence High. She went with Mal Hallett in 1938, replacing Teddy Grace, and later that year went with Gene Krupa. She recorded 63 titles with Krupa’s band, leaving in 1941 when she married Krupa’s trumpeter, Corky Cornelius. (Anita O’Day replaced her.) She recorded two sides with Sam Donahue, but otherwise gave up music. Upon Corky’s death in 1943, Daye resumed her singing career with Charlie Spivak’s band. In 1950 she married Spivak and retired from performing. She became the band’s business manager and remained in that role until her death from cancer on November 1, 1971.
Here is the Krupa band with Irene Daye and “Drum Boogie.”