Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American singer and actress. She is probably most remembered for her role as matchmaker "Dolly Gallagher Levi" in David Merrick's production of Hello Dolly! - a part first created on Broadway by Carol Channing. The all-black version of Hello, Dolly!, which played on Broadway from 1967 to 1969, garnered Bailey the theatre's highest honor, the Tony Award, for her performance. Pearl Bailey’s career spanned nearly fifty years in all forms from Vaudeville to Broadway to Television. Her unique delivery, which included ad-libbing and bantering back and forth with the audience, added to her personability and charisma. Throughout her life she performed with her husband, jazz drummer Louie Bellson and other notable musicians such as Louis Armstrong on USO tours (United Service Organization) entertaining troops overseas. She was appointed an “ambassador of love” by President Richard Nixon in 1970 and went on to serve as a special ambassador to the United Nations through three more presidential administrations. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. .
Childhood and Early Career
She was born in Newport News, Virginia, (also the birth place of legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald) to Rev. Joseph & Ella Mae Bailey. She had two sisters, Virgie and Eura and a brother, Willie “Bill” Bailey whose career as a tap dancer was revitalized through the movie Taps starring Gregory Hines in 1989. Pearl Bailey had ancestral lines on both sides of her family descended from the Cree Indians.
Although Pearl Bailey had no official musical education, she attributed her love of singing and dance to her childhood experience in a Pentecostal "holy roller" church where her father was a preacher. Her parents divorced when she was four and the children divided their time between their mother’s home in Philadelphia and their father’s in Washington D.C. After winning a talent contest at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Pearl dropped out of high school to pursue a career on the vaudeville circuit. Later in life, she would return to her lifelong dream of receiving a higher education by entering college at Georgetown Unversity in her late 60s.
She made her Broadway debut in the all black musical St. Louis Woman in 1946 produced by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen and also featuring Nat King Cole. This was a breakthrough role that took Pearl from Vaudeville to Broadway. Her debut earned her the Donaldson Award as best newcomer on Broadway that year. She honed her distinctive style of entertaining through her nightclub acts performing with Cab Calloway, who would become a life long friend, at the Zanzibar Nightclub on Broadway. Her humorous and folksy style was well loved by audiences; she was affectionately called “Pearley Mae” by her fans and close friends. Her singing voice was described as throaty with a low growl best suited to jazzy classics such as "Toot Toot Tootsie (Goodbye) and "Bill Bailey, Wont' You Please Come Home." The London Times described her "throway style," as it would come to be known as, by saying:
- ...seemingly haphazard but in fact cunningly controlled lapses of vocal concentration causing the lyrics to disappear under a groundsell of mumbled monologue which always slipped back into the rhythmic pattern of the song with unerring accuracy.
Also during the 1940s she debuted as a soloist with Big Bands such as the Edgar Hayes Orchestra. Taking her act overseas she performed with other Jazz greats such as Count Basie and Noble Sissie on USO (United Service Organization) tours entertaining American troops during World War II.
After finding success with cabarets and stage productions she went on to try her talents in film. Her first movie was paramount's Vaiety Girl. In the movie she sang, what would become one her signature numbers, "Tired." In the 1950s she played important roles in two all-balck major studio musicals: that of "Frankie" in Carmen Jones (1954) an updated musical rendition of Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen and that of "Maria" in Porgy and Bess, also starring Sidney Poitier. Another memorable stage performance, in 1954, was that of "Madame Fleur" in the Truman Capote musical House of Flowers.
She was a featured performer at President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration in 1957 beginning what would become a lifelong aside to her career - entertaining at the White House.
Marriage and Career highlights
Bailey was married for 40 years to jazz drummer Louie Bellson who also had a long distinguished career as an entertainer, notably as a drummer and big band leader. He not only performed with Pearl Bailey but along with other jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong. Bellson has performed at the White House more times than any other performer except for Bob Hope. Together the Baily-Bellsons adopted two children,
Later Life: Education and Charity Work
Pearl Bailey signs her autograph, "All Love, Pearl". - -and she means it. This rare treasure has a heart as big as the world.
If there is a benefit for children, Pearl is supporting it. If one cares about other's liberty and rights, Pearl is there, standing tall and advocating that the ethical and fair thing be done. If AIDS is the issue, Pearl rolls up her sleeves and wades right in to see that the humane thing be done. In other words, Pearl loves people... all kinds of people, any age, any race, any nationality, any philosophy. To her, people are people
After Georgetown University in Washington D.C. awarded Pearl Bailey an honorary degree in she decided to return to college in earnest becoming a full-time undergraduate freshman at the age of 67. Fulfilling a life long dream of being a college graduate she finished school with a B.A. in Theology.
Bailey took part in a campaign ad for President Gerald Ford in the 1976 United States presidential election.
Awards Women's International Center presented the Living Legacy Award to Miss Pearl Bailey, on March 11, 1989. She was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 17, 1988 by President Ronald Reagan for: put here
Pearl Bailey died from heart failure in 1990 at the age of 72.
End of Life - Awards
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Bailey, Pearl, The Raw Pearl. New York: Harcourt, 1968. ISBN 0151759308
- Bailey, Pearl, Talking to Myself. New York: Harcourt, 1971. ASIN B000DCO646
- Bailey, Pearl, Between You and Me: A Heartfelt Memoir on Learning, Loving, and Living. New York: Doubleday, 1989. ISBN 0385262027
- Bailey, Pearl, Pearl’s Kitchen: An Extraordinary Cookbook. New York: Harcourt, 1973. ISBN 0151716005
- Bailey, Pearl, Duey’s Tale. New York: Harcourt, 1975. ISBN 0151265763
- Bailey, Pearl, Hurry Up, America, and Spit. New York: Harcourt, 1976. ISBN 0151430004
External links
- The African American Registry
- Women's History
- Women's International Center
- Norfolk Music Legends
- Daily Celebrations
- Bailey Poster
- Pearl Bailey's Gravesite
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bailey, Pearl Mae |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 29 1918 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Southampton County, Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 17 1990 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
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