She moved to New York City in the 1980s. She is survived by her brothers, David Wooldridge and Kenneth Wooldridge and a sister Juanita Baker.
She spent 2 years in Honolulu, Hawaii where she met Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. She moved to Los Angeles, California where she met Bob Russell.
She was a civil rights activist and advocate in the 1960s.
She was awarded the Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment of the Arts for her lifetime achievement in jazz music.
She was raised in Calvin Center, Michigan.
She was the 10th of 12 children born in Chicago and raised in rural Michigan.