Abby Wager

Abby Wager was born February 10, 1922 in the town of Emery, Wisconsin. Little is known about her early life, except that she got her musical influence from her brother. As an African-American person, her music often reflected the rampant discrimination of the era. In 1940, Wager left her small-town home to make it big in New York City. After many years playing bars and small gigs she was discovered by a man named Nick Donald who became her manager. This relationship trigged her successful career in Jazz music. Her career sky-rocketed with a contract from Playtone Records. In 1952 she married Donald and together they had 3 children. Being an interracial couple in the turbulent times on the Civil Rights Movement meant that their life together was plauged by a constant barrage of threats. Towards the end of the 1960s, Wager was diagnosed with an advanced from of tuberculosis. Abby Wager died November 23, 1968 at the age of 46.