Pearl Mae Bailey, born on March 29, 1918, in Newport News, Virginia, was a prominent American entertainer known for her captivating singing and playful sense...
James P. Johnson, in full James Price Johnson, (born Feb. 1, 1894, New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.—died Nov. 17, 1955, New York, N.Y.), highly influential black...
Lena Horne was a legendary performer and civil rights activist who broke barriers in the entertainment industry. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917, Horne...
Alberta Hunter, (born April 1, 1895, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.—died October 17, 1984, New York, New York), American blues singer who achieved international fame in the...
Bessie Smith, in full Elizabeth Smith, (born April 15, 1898?, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.—died September 26, 1937, Clarksdale, Mississippi), American singer, one of the greatest blues...
The Mother of the Blues Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886–1939) was a pioneering American blues singer, performer, and entrepreneur who earned the enduring title of “Mother...
Cotton Club, the legendary nightspot in the Harlem district of New York City that for years featured prominent black entertainers who performed for white audiences....