Izinetta Wilcox

Izenetta Tears was born in Austin, Texas, the daughter of a funeral director and a schoolteacher; she was named for her paternal grandmother. A 1936 graduate of Wiley College, she pursued further study in New York City at Juilliard, and also briefly taught school in Austin before marrying Eddie Wilcox, saxophonist in the Jimmy Lunceford Band. After her divorce, she was a featured performer in nightclubs and other venues in and around the metropolitan New York City area. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Austin, near her parents and other family members.