Esther Jones was a Black child performer in Harlem in the 1920s. She went by the stage name Baby Esther. She was known for a distinctive scat-singing style, full of nonsense syllables delivered in a high, baby-like voice. Her signature phrase was "boop oop a doop." In 1934, the white singer Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios and Paramount. She claimed they had stolen her act for a new cartoon character called Betty Boop. Kane said the character's look and voice were hers. The defense called a witness. Lou Walton, Esther Jones' manager, took the stand. He testified that he had trained Esther in the scat style. He said Kane had seen Baby Esther perform before she started using the "boop" style herself. The defense also showed a sound film of Esther performing. The evidence was used to argue that the "boop" style existed before Kane made it famous. The judge ruled against Kane. The "baby" technique of singing did not originate with her. So the voice that became Betty Boop's signature came from a Black child in Harlem. Esther Jones was never credited during her lifetime. She died in 1934, the same year as the trial. Her name faded from the story, while the character she helped inspire became a global icon.