Marion Harris in 1940

Very little is known about the childhood, and life of Marion Harris. It’s rumored
that she was related to President Benjamin Harrison and was persuaded to
change her name from Harrison to Harris to avoid shaming the family name
with her Vaudeville hijinks. What is known about the pioneering jazz singer
is that she married her agent, Leonard Urry and later died on April 23, 1944
at a hotel in New York. She reportedly had fallen asleep with a lit cigarette.