If fate had not seemingly conspired against her, Valaida Snow might well be counted among the greatest entertainers of the early 20th century; instead, she remains little known outside of an avid cult following. A gifted blues vocalist and multi-instrumentalist also noted for her skills as an arranger, Snow was born on June 2, 1903, in Chattanooga, TN (although other sources have stated otherwise). She was the product of a musical family; her mother, a music teacher, taught Valaida and her sisters Lavaida and Alvaida to play a wide variety of instruments, among them cello, bass, mandolin, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and accordion. The girls also sang and danced, but when Valaida turned professional at the age of 15 she began focusing on vocals and trumpet, and by 1924 she was already a featured performer in the Noble Sissle/Eubie Blake musical In Bamville (aka The Chocolate Dandies).