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Showing posts with the label Harlem

Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990)

Samuel George Davis Jr. was born on December 8, 1925 in Harlem, New York. His parents, Sammy Davis Sr., an African American, and Elvera Sanchez, a Cuban American, were both vaudeville dancers.  They separated when young Davis was three years old and his father took him on tour with a dance troupe led by Will Mastin. Davis joined the act at a young age and they became known as the Will Mastin Trio. It was with this trio that Davis began a lucrative career as a dancer, singer, comedian, actor, and a multi-instrumentalist. During World War II Davis joined the army, he joined an integrated entertainment Special Services unit, and found that while performing the crowd often forgot the color of the man on stage. After his discharge from the army Davis rejoined the Will Mastin Trio and soon became known in Las Vegas as the kid in the middle.  On November 19, 1954, with the act in Las Vegas finally getting off the ground, he was involved in a serious car accident on a trip from L...

Augusta Savage (1892-1962)

African American sculptor, teacher, and advocate for black artists Augusta Savage was born Augusta Christine Fell in Green Cove Springs, Florida on February 29, 1892, the child of Edward Fells, a laborer and Methodist minister, and Cornelia Murphy. She retained the last name of her second husband, a carpenter named James Savage; they were divorced in the early 1920s.  After moving to Harlem in New York in 1921, Savage studied art at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where she finished the four-year program in three years . She was recommended by Harlem librarian Sadie Peterson, for a commission of a bust of W.E.B. DuBois.  The sculpture was well received and she began sculpting busts of other African American leaders. Savage’s bust of a Harlem child, Gamin (1929), brought her ...

Alice Barker

Alice Barker was a chorus line dancer during the Harlem Renaissance of the the 1930's and 40's. She danced at clubs such as The Apollo, Cotton Club, and Zanzibar Club, with legends including Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Although she danced in numerous movies, commercials and TV shows, she had never seen any of them, and all of her photographs and memorabilia had been lost over the years. After years of searching we found three "Soundies" Alice appeared in and were finally able to show them to her — she had never seen herself in motion in her life!  If you'd like to send Alice fan mail we would love to see her get the adoration she deserves after so many years! (We'll do our best to read some of your comments to her as well.): Alice Barker c/o Brookly Gardens (formerly the Bishop Henry B. Hucles Episcopal Nursing Home) 835 Herkimer Street  Brooklyn, NY11233 All of Alice's films from this video are collected...

Rabbi Arnold Josiah Ford

Born 1877 died 1935 Wrote the musical anthems for the UNIA.  33 degree Past Master, Memmon Lodge, no. 51 Scottish Rite mason From Barbados moved to Harlem in 1911 Leaves the UNIA after trying to get Garvey to change the platform of the UNIA to Judaism while he was in exile. Garvey said "no" and Ford left and joined the Moorish Zionist Temple. 1924 he leaves the temple after disagreements with Mordeci Herrmenz the founder. Next in 1924 he is assisted by white Jews to start his own temple Beth B'Nai Abraham. Ford plays at Hailie Selassie coronation Ford leaves his congregation to Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew and moves to Ethiopia where he died five years later. Tries to sue Marcus Garvey of music royalties.

BETTY BOOP - Origin

Ms. ESTHER JONES, known by her stage name, "Baby Esther," was an " African-American singer and entertainer of the late 1920s. She performed regularly at the (The Cotton Club) in Harlem.  Singer Helen Kane saw her act in 1928 and (COPIED or stole ). Ms Jones' 'baby' Singing Style! > for a recording of "I Wanna Be Loved By You."  Ms. Jones' singing style went on to become the inspiration for (( Max Fleischer )) cartoon character's Voice and SINGING style of BETTY BOOP, was YES a Black Woman. Her singing trademark Was.. "boop oop a doop ".. In a baby voice at the cotton club in Harlem. - Esther Jones who's stage name was "Baby Esther" was a popular entertainer at Harlem's Cotton Club in the late 1920s. Baby Esther interpolated words such as 'Boo-Boo-Boo' & 'Doo-Doo-Doo' in songs at a cabaret. Helen Kane SAW Baby's act in 1928 and (stole) Used it in her hit song I Wanna Be Loved By You...