Daughter Maitland (1908-1960) was an African-American jazz and blues singer during the 1920s. Maitland was raised by the crime boss Valentin Narcisse after Narcisse killed her mother, a prostitute, and she later came to hate Narcisse, becoming the mistress of his rival Chalky White.
Biography[]
Daughter Maitland was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of an African-American prostitute. Maitland's mother was strangulated by Valentin Narcisse in 1898 after she threw acid on his chest as he tried to rape her, and she was raised with the name "Daughter", the only name that Narcisse called her. She moved to New York City with her adoptive father, and she grew up to become a beloved jazz and blues singer at Owney Madden's Cotton Club in Harlem during the 1920s. In 1924, she came to Atlantic City when Narcisse became a co-owner of the Onyx club, and she had affairs with Chalky White, the other owner of the club. Maitland would kill Dunn Purnsley when he attempted to murder White, and White and Maitland ran off to Maryland before returning to Atlantic City. White was arrested for robbery and served to seven years in prison, while Maitland was held captive by Narcisse at his Harlem brothel. In 1931, White came for Maitland, discovering that she had a daughter with him, Althea. White made a deal with Narcisse, agreeing to work for him if he would allow for Maitland to release her new record and return to singing. White knew that Narcisse would betray him, and he was gunned down as he left the brothel. Maitland became well-known for her songs "I'm Going South", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Dream a Little Dream of Me", and she became a beloved singer.