Jackie Cain & Roy Krall
Cain was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 22nd, 1928. After her parents divorce, Cain moved in with her mother in a rooming house. As Cain started elementary school, she began to develop a passion for music. She would love to listen and sing along to music on the radio and also enjoyed performing for her school chorus. Cain’s passion for music only developed when she reached high school. She was involved in an a cappella chorus during the school day and began performing on children’s radio show and with a band organized by a local music store in Milwaukee.
At the age of 17, Cain accepted her first full-time job in music as a singer with Jay Burkhart’s band. This lasted for two years until she was introduced to Roy Kral. The two quickly began to perform together in clubs in Chicago, and in 1949 they tied the knot. The duo went on to produce close to 40 albums for multiple record labels.
Jackie and Roy, as they were known, rose to initial fame as singers with such as “East of Suez.” The duo was among the forbearers to shape the art of vocalese, a
Jackie and Roy remained famous and active for 50 years. One of the more impressive feats of the duo was their ability to adapt to the changing music scene. They were able to make a transition from jazz to electric when the rock craze of the 70’s was in full swing. Clearly the talent of Jackie Cain not only was able to adapt to different musical periods but also stood the ultimate test of time.
Attached is a transcript of an interview between Monk Rowe & Jackie Cain/Roy Krall.
