For decades, the legendary jazz icon and electrifying bandleader Cab Calloway captivated audiences with his dynamic performances and unforgettable style.

Yet behind the dazzling spotlight and roaring crowds, Cab Calloway harbored secrets that remained hidden—until now.

After more than 30 years, his family has stepped forward to confirm long-standing rumors that have intrigued fans and historians alike.

So, who was the real Cab Calloway beyond the stage?

To uncover the truth, we must journey back to the early years that shaped this extraordinary life and legacy.

Born Cabell Calloway III on Christmas Day, 1907, in Rochester, New York, Cab emerged from a prominent African-American family.

His father, Cabell Calloway Jr., was a lawyer and real estate agent, while his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist.

At age 11, tragedy struck when his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and his father passed away shortly after.

Growing up in West Baltimore’s Druid Hill neighborhood, young Cab often skipped school to work odd jobs—selling newspapers, shining shoes, and even cooling down horses at the racetrack.

This early exposure sparked a lifelong fascination with horse racing and betting.

Despite his mother’s efforts to keep him on a straight path—including sending him to a reform school—Cab’s passion for music and performance could not be contained.

He received private singing lessons and was mentored by jazz greats, even as his family disapproved of his devotion to jazz.

By the time he graduated high school in 1925, Cab was already performing in clubs and honing his craft.

After high school, Cab Calloway plunged into the vibrant Baltimore nightclub scene, inspired by mentors like drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones.

In 1927, he toured with his sister Blanche Calloway, the first African-American woman to lead her own orchestra, deepening his love for show business.

Though he briefly enrolled in law school to please his mother, the call of music was irresistible.

By 1929, he dropped out to join the Alabamians band in New York, quickly making a name for himself with his charismatic vocals and stage presence.

His big break came when he replaced a singer in the musical revue *Connie’s Hot Chocolates*, dazzling audiences with the hit “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

Soon after, he took over leadership of The Missourians band, which became *Cab Calloway and His Orchestra*, launching his journey to stardom.

In 1931, Cab’s band secured a residency at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club, filling in for Duke Ellington’s orchestra.

This engagement catapulted Calloway into the national spotlight, with regular NBC radio broadcasts and appearances alongside stars like Bing Crosby.

At just 23, he became the first African-American to host a nationally syndicated radio show.

His 1931 recording of “Minnie the Moocher,” featuring his signature “Hi-De-Ho” scat singing, became the first million-selling single by an African-American artist.

This song, immortalized in Betty Boop cartoons through rotoscoped animation of Cab’s dance moves, sealed his place as a jazz pioneer.

Cab Calloway’s influence extended beyond music into acting, education, and cultural innovation.

He published *Cab Calloway’s Cat-ologue: A Hepster’s Dictionary* in 1938, the first dictionary written and published by an African-American.

His band nurtured future jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Ben Webster, while also forming baseball and basketball teams that toured alongside their musical performances.

Though the big band era waned after World War II, Cab’s career thrived with TV appearances, film roles, and stage productions, including a memorable cameo in *The Blues Brothers* (1980).

In 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Arts, recognizing his monumental contributions to American culture.

Despite his public success, Cab Calloway’s personal life held mysteries that only surfaced decades later.

In 2020, the death certificate of famed actress and singer Ja’Net DuBois revealed a stunning truth: her birth name was listed as Janette T. Calloway DuBois.

This discovery confirmed rumors that Ja’Net DuBois was, in fact, Cab Calloway’s secret daughter—a revelation that shocked fans and historians alike.

Ja’Net, best known for co-writing and singing *The Jeffersons* theme and her role on *Good Times*, had kept her parentage private throughout her life.

Her daughter later confirmed the connection, shedding light on a relationship Cab had while married, adding complexity to the jazz legend’s personal story.

Cab Calloway passed away in 1994 at age 86, leaving behind a rich legacy celebrated worldwide.

Posthumous honors, including Grammy Lifetime Achievement and inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, affirm his lasting impact.

Yet the mystery surrounding his secret daughter and the hidden chapters of his life continue to fascinate and inspire.

As his family confirms these long-held rumors, the world gains a fuller picture of the man behind the music—a trailblazer whose life was as vibrant and complex as his unforgettable sound.