32 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine ARTS, MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT versatility in the field of entertainment, Ms. Bradford was an actress in two movies, “Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story” and “Reggie’s Prayer,” both in 1996. Notably, Ms. Bradford founded a woman’s jazz festival at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and was recognized as a Jazz Ambassador. Her efforts as an ambassador led her to participate in contests across the world to 60 different countries. Furthermore, she headed an 18-piece band that consisted of nine men and nine women, which she cites as an exciting moment in her career. Ms. Bradford has held a Master of Arts in jazz history from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, since 2013. Receiving her degree at the age of 73, she intends to turn her master’s degree thesis into a book. Titled “JazzWidows,” her thesis is a documentation of a collection of women who were married, and then widowed, to famous jazz musicians. She would also like to start a podcast. Hailing from a family of entertainers, which included musicians and vocalists, Melba Joyce Bradford is a lauded and award-winning jazz vocalist who has traveled across the globe in light of her singing prowess. Commencing her career in the 1960s as a songwriter, she notably traveled to Vietnam to sing for military troops in 1969. As time progressed, Ms. Bradford became involved in a number of musical performances and performed at several venues, including the Lincoln Center in New York City, where she was a big band leader for the Mid-Summer Night Swing Program. Additionally, she was a vocalist for the Ron Hampton Orchestra, a vocalist for The Count Basie Orchestra, and a jazz singer at the Shara Hotel and Casino. Alongside her musical endeavors, Ms. Bradford spent nearly 15 years serving as a music professor at the State University of New York at Westbury, as well as a music professor at Medgar Evers College between 2017 and 2019. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well. Demonstrating MELBA JOYCE BRADFORD ENTERTAINER, EDUCATOR (RETIRED) Bradmoore Productions Pasadena, CA
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