Herb Jeffries was an actor and singer who starred in several early black western films as a singing cowboy dubbed "the Bronze Buckaroo."

Born Umberto Alejandro Ballentino in Detroit, Michigan, he was the son of a white mother and a father who at different times was reported to be of mixed Ethiopian, Portuguese, Sicilian, American Indian and Moorish roots. Although light-skinned, he chose not to try to "pass" as white, and instead identifed as black.

He got his start as a singer in the 1930, collaborating with Earl Hines and his orchestra. In 1937 he starred in  the film Harlem on the Prairie, which spawned a number of sequels. By 1940, he was singing with Duke Ellington's orchestra and in 1941 he had a hit single, “Flamingo,” which sold more than 14 million copies.

After a period of time in Europe he returned to the U.S. and continued to sing and act.

He also worked in television, with roles on such programs as I Dream of Jeannie, The Name of the Game, The Virginian, Where's Huddles?, Hawaii Five-O and The Cherokee Kid.

 Jeffries died May 25, 2014, in Woodland Hills, California.