Siren Navarro

Siren Navarro was born on August 4, 1887 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Her mom was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and her father was born in Italy.

She was an early black entertainer who gained her biggest success when she teamed with dancer Tom Brown in an act called, "Brown and Navarro."

They became a well known act touring the vaudeville circuit. Her former partner, Tom Brown was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1868. He was with McCabe and Young's Minstrels then with Richard and Pringel's Minstrels and the Lafayette Players. He died on June 20, 1919 of stomach cancer.

Miss Navarro (sometimes spelled Nevarro), later re-invented herself (circa 1920) in an act with her husband (the couple married in 1919), Fred Byron and his brothers. They became known as the Byron Brothers Saxophone Band or the Byron Brothers Saxophone Quintet. After Siren joined the group it became known as the Byron Brothers Sextette. The elder Byron was known for inventing an instrument called the 'byrondolin.'

In the 1930 census it lists her as being a housewife --- also appears she didn't have children.

Siren Navarro Byron died on August 28, 1943 and is buried in Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. She was 56.

Source: White Studio, Daniel Cowin Collection (circa 1910)