This singer performed with some of the biggest names in jazz music. She grew up in Pennsylvania and got her start in Pittsburgh clubs. In 1941, jazz legend Louis Armstrong discovered her, and she performed with his band on Broadway.

She later sang with top bandleaders such as Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. In 1946, she joined Billy Eckstine’s band, replacing Sarah Vaughan. That group, called “The Dream Band,” included legends Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Baker also appeared in the movie Rhythm in a Riff.

When big band music started fading, Baker moved to Charleston and married local tennis star Delaney “Wag” Wagner. Together, they opened The Shalamar club, where she performed with stars such as Nat King Cole. She also sang with local groups, at the West Virginia Jazz Festival, and on the radio show Mountain Stage.

In 2008, Ann Baker was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.