Today in NYC History: Cab Calloway Releases “Minnie the Moocher” (1931)
On March 3, 1931, Harlem big band leader Cab Calloway recorded “Minnie the Moocher,” the classic tale of chasing opium that made Calloway a national star and put Harlem’s big band sound on the map. Born on Christmas Day in 1907, Calloway had moved to Harlem to break into the jazz scene, and soon won the…