Pearl Bailey

Pearl Bailey in “St. Louis Woman”, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1946

Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American singer and actress. She is probably most remembered for her role as the "Dolly" in Hello Dolly a part first made famous by Carol Channing.

Childhood and Early Career

She made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award, the theater's highest honor, for the title role in Hello, Dolly! in 1968. Her rendition of "Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952.

She was born in Southampton County, Virginia, to Rev. Joseph & Ella Mae Bailey. Her father was a preacher and instilled a lifelong interest in faith in Pearl.

In 1954, she took the role of Frankie in the film version of Carmen Jones, and her rendition of "Beat Out That Rhythm on the Drum" is one of the highlights of the film. In 1959, she played the role of Maria in the film version of Porgy and Bess, starring Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge. Also that year she played the role of "Aunt Hagar" in the movie St. Louis Blues alongside Mahalia Jackson, Eartha Kitt, and Nat King Cole. During the 1970s she had her own television show, and she also provided voices for animations such as Tubby the Tuba (1976) and Walt Disneys The Fox and the Hound (1981).

Later Life: Education and Charity Work

After Georgetown University 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. Later in life, she earned a B.A. in Theology from Georgetown University in Washington, DC in 1985.

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

She was married for nearly 40 years to jazz drummer Louie Bellson.

Pearl Bailey died from heart failure in 1990 at the age of 72.

References

ISBN 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

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Pearl Bailey  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Pearl Bailey"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.