Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon, born Frank Devera Jackson on March 3, 1896 or 1897, in Montgomery, Alabama, was a prominent African American vaudeville singer, comedian, and stage designer, known for his work in the 1920s and 1930s. Orphaned early in life, he was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. His nickname "Half Pint" was a nod to his diminutive 5'2" stature. Jaxon launched his entertainment career around 1910 in Kansas City, performing in cafes, movie theaters, and bars. He later traveled extensively across the United States, gaining popularity for his feminine voice and flamboyant stage presence, often performing as a female impersonator.

By 1917, Jaxon was working regularly in Atlantic City and Chicago, collaborating with notable performers such as Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, for whom he also provided stage designs. He served in the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1919, achieving the rank of sergeant. In the late 1920s, Jaxon performed with leading jazz bands in Chicago, including those led by Bennie Moten, King Oliver, and Freddie Keppard. He recorded with pianists Cow Cow Davenport, Tampa Red, and "Georgia Tom" Dorsey under the moniker The Black Hillbillies and also with the Harlem Hamfats.

Jaxon appeared in film shorts such as "Black and Tan" (1929) with Duke Ellington and "St. Louis Blues" (1929) with Bessie Smith. His song "Willie the Weeper" (1927) influenced Cab Calloway's famous "Minnie the Moocher" (1931). During the 1930s, he led his own band, Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon and His Quarts of Joy, and was a regular presence on Chicago radio.

In 1941, Jaxon retired from show business, taking a position at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., before relocating to Los Angeles. He passed away on May 15, 1953, at a veterans hospital in Los Angeles. Despite some discrepancies in reported death dates, it is widely accepted that he was buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery. Jaxon's legacy endures through his recordings and contributions to the vaudeville and jazz scenes.