Still a child, she performed regularly on radio station
WHIO (AM) in
Dayton, Ohio. In 1932, while she was still in her teens,
Fats Waller discovered Carlisle while she worked as a local
Cincinnati, Ohio, performer live and on radio. Her piano style was very much influenced by Waller's; she played in a
boogie-woogie/
stride style and incorporated humor into her sets. She played solo from 1937, touring Europe repeatedly and recording with Waller late in the 1930s. In the 1940s, Carlisle recorded as a leader for
Bluebird Records, with sidemen such as
Lester Young,
Benny Carter, and
John Kirby. She had a longtime partnership with producer/publisher/manager
Joe Davis, which began after her contract with Bluebird expired. Her records under Davis included performances from
Ray Nance,
Budd Johnson, and
Shadow Wilson. She also saw success as a songwriter. Her 1941 song "
Walkin' By The River" made her "the first black woman to have a composition appear on a
Billboard chart".
Cab Calloway and
Peggy Lee were among those who covered her tunes. She had her own radio show,
The Una Mae Carlisle Radio Show on
WJZ-ABC, making her the "first black American to host a national radio show"; and television programs in the 1940s. ==Personal life==