Pearl Bailey

• Born: March 29, 1918
• Birthplace: Newport News, Virginia
• Died: August 17, 1990
• Place of death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Singer and actor

A talented singer, dancer, actor, and comedian, Bailey was one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-twentieth century. She was known for a unique singing style that combined her distinctive voice with ad-libbed musical embellishments and comical asides. In addition to her contributions to the entertainment world, Bailey was a lifelong advocate of social justice programs who was able to parlay her fame into work for a variety of humanitarian causes.

Early Life

Pearl Mae Bailey was born on March 29, 1918, in Newport News, Virginia. She was the youngest of four children born to the Reverend Joseph James Bailey, a preacher and cement worker, and Ella Mae Bailey. In 1922, when Bailey was three years old, the family moved to Washington, D.C. Every Sunday, she accompanied her parents and siblings to her father’s church, where she sang and danced with the rest of the congregation. She later identified these experiences as her first musical influences.

When Bailey was eight years old, her parents separated. She lived with her father for a while and, in 1929, moved to Philadelphia with her mother, who had remarried. In Philadelphia, Bailey attended a succession of high schools and decided she wanted to become a teacher. However, when she was fifteen, a series of events led her to choose a different career path. One evening in 1933, she went to a local theater to see her brother Willie, who was performing as a tap dancer. She happened to see an advertisement for an “amateur night” contest at the theater, and persuaded the manager to allow her to perform. Her routine, which consisted of two songs and a tap dance, received an enthusiastic response from the audience. She won the contest, receiving a five-dollar cash prize and the opportunity to work at the theater for a week. Bailey soon abandoned her plans for a career as a teacher in favor of show business.

The next summer, Bailey traveled to New York to visit her brother and his wife, who were performing as a dance team in a nightclub. She was introduced to other people in the entertainment business and entered a talent contest at the famous and historic Apollo Theater. After she won the contest, she returned to Philadelphia even more determined to pursue a career as a performer.

Life’s Work

Bailey began her professional career as a singer and dancer in vaudeville troupes throughout Pennsylvania, as well as in nightclubs in Washington, D.C. Soon after, she worked briefly in New York as a chorus girl with Noble Sissle’s band. However, she was unable to secure much work as the Great Depression made it difficult to build a career in entertainment. During this time, she took on a succession of odd jobs while building her reputation in East Coast nightclubs as a singer.

By the 1940’s, she had begun to appear as a singer with many popular big bands of the era, including those of Count Basie, Charles “Cootie” Williams, and Cab Calloway. During this time, she made her New York debut as a singer at the Village Vanguard. When World War II broke out, she joined a tour sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO). As part of the USO, Bailey performed in military installations all over the world to help boost the morale of the troops. She spent most of the war years on USO tours, taking brief breaks to perform in nightclubs and building her experience as an entertainer. She performed in some of the most elegant nightclubs in New York and, as a result, became one of the city’s most popular singers.

By the end of the war, Bailey had achieved great fame as a singer and dancer. She was able to parlay this fame into work in other areas of entertainment and, in 1946, made her debut as an actor on Broadway in the all-black musical drama St. Louis Woman. Her performance in this revue earned her the Donaldson Award as the best newcomer on Broadway that same year. She also began to appear in Hollywood films, beginning with Variety Girl in 1947. Over the next few years, she had roles in a number of films, including Carmen Jones (1954), That Certain Feeling (1956), St. Louis Blues (1958), and Porgy and Bess (1959), as well as Broadway productions such as Arms and the Girl (1950) and House of Flowers (1954). In 1967, Bailey performed in one of her most famous roles, that of Dolly Levi in an all-black production of the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! Her performance, which was both popular with audiences and praised by critics, won her a special Tony Award that year. Bailey also made her mark in television. She appeared as a guest on a number of programs, including The Mike Douglas Show and What’s My Line? In 1971, she hosted her own variety series, The Pearl Bailey Show.

However, Bailey always considered singing to be her strong suit. Her signature singing style, which blended a bubbly personality with throwaway lines and elegant gestures, made her a top attraction in nightclubs and theaters. The songs for which she is best known include “Row, Row, Row,” “Takes Two to Tango,” “St. Louis Blues,” and “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” In the 1950’s and 1960’s, she recorded a number of albums, including Pearl Bailey (1953), For Women Only (1965), and Hello, Dolly! (1968). She also wrote six books, including two autobiographies.

Upon receiving an honorary doctorate from Georgetown University in 1978, Bailey decided to enroll at the university to earn a bachelor’s degree. In 1979, at the age of sixty-one, she entered the university as a member of the freshman class. In 1985, at the age of sixty-seven, she received a degree in theology. Throughout this time and during her final years, she continued to perform in nightclubs and other venues, sometimes with her husband, drummer Louis Bellson.

In 1990, Bailey, who had suffered from heart disease for a number of years, traveled to Philadelphia for surgery to repair an arthritic knee. She died suddenly there on August 17, of heart failure.

Significance

Bailey was one of the most popular entertainers of her time. In addition to her accomplishments as a singer, dancer, and actor, Bailey also was a fierce advocate for humanitarian causes. She received the March of Dimes Annual Award in 1968 and the USO Woman of the Year Award in 1969. In 1972, she was presented the Heart of the Year award by the American Heart Association. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 1975, she was appointed a United States goodwill ambassador to the United Nations and spoke to the World Health Organization (WHO) about the importance of global cooperation and support for AIDS victims. In recognition of her humanitarian efforts, on March 11, 1989, the Women’s International Center presented her with its Living Legacy Award.

Bibliography

Bailey, Pearl. Between You and Me: A Heartfelt Memoir on Learning, Loving, and Living. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Bailey’s last book details her experiences with higher education and contains snippets of her signature wit and wisdom.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Raw Pearl. New York: Pocket Books, 1968. An autobiographical account of Pearl Bailey’s life that details her professional and personal life.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Talking to Myself. New York: Pocket Books, 1971. Through a series of Bailey’s musings, memories, and poetry, this book offers insight into the humanitarian work she performed during the later years of her life.

Brandt, Keith. Pearl Bailey: With a Song in Her Heart. Mahwah, N.J.: Troll Associates, 1993. An easy-to-read children’s book that provides an illustrated chronology of Bailey’s life and career, including the obstacles she faced as an African American entertainer.

Ebert, Alan. “Pearl Bailey.” In Intimacies: Private Conversations with Very Public Women. Raleigh, N.C.: Lightning Bug Press, 2001. This collection of Ebert’s celebrity interviews includes a profile of Bailey.