Florence Pleasant was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 22, 1933. She and her brother had innate musical talent. Their father owned a dance hall, and their mother was a singer. Ms. Pleasant played piano and violin through high school. She gave up her scholarship to Xavier College in New Orleans after two years because of a burning desire to play bebop music.
Ms. Pleasant Played with Arnett Cobb and His Mobb in San Antoino and joined him later in Chicago for two or three years of playing theater circuits which culminated in appearances at the Apollo Theater and the Birdland Ballroom in New York City.
After teaching herself to play the organ she finally embarked upon her own personal career as a performer. She left New York City in 1978 due to a relative’s illness, but thereafter performed on the West Coast.
From the guide to the Florence "Bu" Pleasant Collection MSS 336., 1933 to 1988, 1940s and 1950s, (Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library)
