- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMargaret Fern Knechtges
- Nickname
- Peggy
- Peggy Gilbert was born on January 17, 1905 in Sioux City, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for The Golden Girls (1985), Married... with Children (1987) and Madame's Place (1982). She was married to James Wright. She died on February 12, 2007 in Burbank, California, USA.
- SpouseJames Wright(June 1942 - ?) (divorced)
- Survived by her companion of more than 60 years, Kay Boley, a former vaudeville performer and contortionist whom she met when they appeared at the same nightclub.
- Pioneer female bandleader; in 1923, after graduating from Sioux City High School in her hometown, she formed her own all-girl band, the Melody Girls, where she played the saxophone; she subsequently fronted all-girl bands during the heyday of the big bands - she was an advocate for women in jazz all of her life, and led her last band, Peggy Gilbert & the Dixie Belles from 1974 to 1998.
- She fell in love with jazz music she heard on the radio while growing up. She wanted to learn saxophone in high school, but was told that girls could only play violin, piano, or harp. So she took saxophone lessons from a local bandleader.
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