Mary Moss
Jazz Vocalist
Inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame in 2002
Mary Moss
( DOB? - January 8, 2016)
Known as "The Lady with a Song", Mary Moss was born and raised in Kentucky, coming to Indianapolis in 1958 and immediately joining the entertainment community. Married to King Moss, they toured the country and Canada as King & Mary where she was acclaimed as a jazz vocalist. She appeared for two years at the Thunderbird Lounge in Indianapolis and seven years at LaRue’s Supper Club backed by the Jimmy Coe Quintet. Later she sang for larger and more appreciative audiences at the Crown Room, Embers, Pink Poodle and Town and Country Lounge.
In the early 1970s Moss appeared on Channel 13 daily with George Willeford, host of the live morning music and variety show. She then moved to Channels 4 and 8 as a performer and commentator for many aspects of the entertainment industry. She was a mentor to younger female musicians in the city and led the “Women of Jazz” in appearances at the Walker Theatre, the Indy Jazz Fest, and Animals and All That Jazz at the Indianapolis Zoo. She was a favorite at the Jazz Kitchen, the Chatterbox, and concerts at the Artsgarden. In 2003, she recorded a live album Lady with a Song at the Jazz Kitchen and made jazz recordings for the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Singing (Alpha Books, 2003) by Phyllis Fulford and Michael Miller. Later in life she became deeply involved with her church and ended her entertainment career.
