Kittie Doswell, early 1960s

Kittie Doswell (April 14, 1939 – May 1, 2011) was an American R&B, soul and jazz vocalist from Houston, Texas, United States,^[1] who later in life began a public service career.

Music career

Doswell made a handful of notable, highly collectible records in the 1960s and 1970s, and was at one time working in both Los Angeles and New York. In New York she recorded twice for The Night Blooming Jazzmen in 1971 and 1972, and worked with Leonard Feather, Blue Mitchell, Ernie Watts, Fred Robinson, Chino Valdes, Paul Humphries, Max Bennett, and Al McKibbon.

Later career

From 1969 to 1974, Doswell was a communication operator with Los Angeles County. From 1976 to 1985, she worked at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) in Glendale, California as a licensed embalmer.

Doswell later began a career with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1985, serving as a seafood inspector in FDA's Los Angeles District, San Pedro, California. She served in that capacity until her death on May 1, 2011, due to lung cancer. Known to coworkers as 'Ms. Kittie,' she proved extremely productive in what is normally a very labor-intensive activity even for younger workers. Her greatest contribution within FDA, however, was as a trainer and mentor of new employees. In addition, she was active in the LGBT community, promoting awareness and participating in numerous fundraisers and publicity campaigns.

Partial discography

References