Deppe, Louis B.

Louis B. Deppe, born in Horse Cave, KY, was a baritone concert and solo singer mentored by Madame C. J. Walker. Deppe grew up in Springfield, OH, and at the age of 16 was taken to New York by Madame Walker for voice training.

Deppe served in the U.S. Army and afterward toured with Anita Patti Brown. He was close friends and a performance partner with Earl Hines, and he directed his own groups, including Lo[u]is B. Deppe and His Plantation Orchestra. Deppe also performed in Broadway musicals. (His first name has been spelled "Lois" in some sources.)

For more see "Louis Deppe" in Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians, by E. Southern.