Loretta Whyte

Loretta Whyte (pianist, organist, vocalist, and club owner) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1911 as Loretta Estelle Simpson to a father from Alabama and a mother from Tennessee, and was one of 13 children. She started playing piano at age three and, at 14, began playing music at movie theaters. She met her first husband, banjo player, and violinist William H. White when both were working as silent movie musicians. On March 25, 1927, they had a son, Archibald William "Archie" White. They moved to Chicago and then to Milwaukee, and in 1930, they lived at 712 West Garfield Avenue. William died in the early 1930s.

In 1932, she met and later married James "Derby" Thomas, a promoter who booked bands during the Depression. He was born in Hickman, Kentucky, and moved to Milwaukee in 1923. Loretta played piano and organ in speakeasies, developing an extensive repertoire. She performed with different bands, including one run by Bernie Young and with Tommy Fox and the Clever Little Foxes. According to her niece Miriam Smith, "She played at the Schroeder Hotel (now the Hilton Milwaukee City Center), and the people filled out request cards, so she knew quite a few songs." She used the name Loretta Whyte as a professional name when performing. According to Smith, "When she was traveling with bands, she wore men's suits, because at that time women didn't do that sort of thing, getting on buses and traveling around. She was really one of the boys."

About 1945, Loretta and her husband opened the Flame, first at 1315 North Ninth Street (just North of Winnebago). Loretta was featured there leading her own band, playing piano and organ, sometimes at the same time while singing. Milwaukee tenor saxophonist Frank Gay described her style as a "jazzy type of blues." From 1952 to 1955, Derby also operated the Wonderland Ballroom, located at 1126 West North Avenue. They operated the Flame until the late 1950s. In the spring of 1964, they reopened the Flame Club at a new location, 701 West Juneau Avenue, and Loretta performed piano there. Unfortunately, Derby Thomas died just four months later on August 26, 1964. A news item later that year announced that the Flame club, "home of some of Milwaukee's better jazz music over the years, has been reopened by proprietor-organist Loretta Whyte... She fronts The Flame club trio." The club's reopening only lasted about a year due to freeway construction plans, and the building was eventually torn down in 1989.

Loretta also played the organ at Borchert Field, Milwaukee's main baseball park, until County Stadium was built in 1953. The old field was demolished, and the site is now covered by Interstate 43.

Loretta continued to perform until 1990. Archie died on July 16, 2004, and Loretta died on May 8, 2008, at age 97.on May 8, 2008, at age 97.