Georgia Lee

Ramer Lyra "Dulcie" Pitt, who performed as Georgia Lee (19212010) was an Australian jazz and blues singer and actress from Cairns. She is credited with being the first Indigenous Australian artist to record blues songs with her album, Georgia Lee Sings the Blues Down Under.

Early life Georgia Lee was born as Ramer Lyra Pitt on 22 February 1921. Her father, Douglas Pitt Jr., ( 1877–1926) was of Jamaican, Scottish and Loyalty Islander descent and her mother, Myra Kemple-Hopkin's heritage was Afghani, Australian Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Scottish. Her father, a fisherman, was a strong swimmer: he swam from a sinking lugger to shore during a cyclone off Cooktown in 1894.

Lee grew up in a musical family, her sisters Sophie and Heather were also singers, while her brothers Arthur and Walter were musicians. One of these shows was described in October 1943, "Heather and Dulcie Pitt, sang two songs, accompanied by [two men] on guitars, and one of the sisters did a fascinating hula dance... [also] in the second half [they sang] two popular songs, and on both appearances they were most enthusiastically applauded."

After the war she took the name Georgia Lee and moved south to work in the cities and later in the United Kingdom. She performed and recorded with many artists and bands including Graeme Bell, Geraldo, Bruce Clarke, Port Jackson Jazz Band, George Trevare and the Max Williams Quintet. Thereafter she performed as Georgia Lee. During that year Lee was heard on Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC)'s radio programmes, Show Business (Mondays) and The Hit Parade (Wednesdays) backed by Jim Gussey's ABC Dance Band.

Georgia Lee's 1948 rendition of the song Strange Fruit is possibly the first Australian performance of the song, and ultimately proved so controversial it was banned from radio. The Georgia Lee Exhibition by the Australian Jazz Museum includes song samples and memorabilia.

In late 1953 the singer relocated to London and was contracted to Geraldo's dance band by the following March. In December 1954 she declined a £2000 offer to renew her contract with Geraldo, preferring to sign with a new revue. In 1957 she toured with Nat King Cole on his Australian tour. She also performed on TV on Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight

Lee is credited with being the first Indigenous Australian artist to record blues songs. Her 1962 album Georgia Lee Sings the Blues Down Under may have been only the second album to be released by an Australian woman Her niece, Wilma Reading, is a singer in her own right.

Discography "Graeme Bell Jazz Concert: Eps 1 and 5" (1949) "Graeme Bell Jazz Concert: Eps 10 and 14" (1949) "Graeme Bell Jazz Concert: Eps 19 and 23" (1949) Bruce Clarke Quintones — "St Louis Blues" (1951) Jazzart Bruce Clarke Quintones — "Blue Moon" (1951) Jazzart "Johnny Angel (song)" sung by Georgia Lee (1960) "It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow" (1961) Rex Georgia Lee Sings the Blues Down Under (1962) Crest

Filmography Burst of Summer (1961 Television Version) as Peggy Dinjerra