Adelaide Hall(1901-1993)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Adelaide Louise Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved
across the East River to Harlem, and it was here, among the rich and
fertile renaissance of black culture in the 1920s, that Adelaide
nurtured her dreams of becoming a star. Her first stage role was in
1921 in the chorus line of the all-black Broadway musical "Shuffle
Along", which gave her a taste of the limelight. The show ran for 504
performances and then went on tour.
Her next stint on stage came in 1923, when she was featured in the
all-black Broadway musical "Runnin' Wild." Of her performance, Variety
wrote, " . . . picked from the chorus is Adelaide Hall, who can be
termed a real find. She jazzes a number as
Paul Whiteman would have it done,
and her singing of 'Old Fashinoed Love' is a knockout." The show ran
for 213 performances and then went on tour. In 1925 she toured Europe
as lead in "The Chocolate Kiddies Revue". She introduced Europe to the
Charleston dance and performed it to
Duke Ellington's "Jig Walk" (the fact is
that she was a sensation in Europe before the better known
Josephine Baker--who always gets
credited for introducing Europe to the Charleston--did.
In 1927 she recorded "Creole Love Call" on a record, backed by the
Duke Ellington Orchestra. The
record caused a furore after its release because of its blatantly
sexual overtones, but it went on to sell millions of copies and is
still selling. It is widely regarded as among the most famous and
important jazz recordings ever made. It introduced "scat singing" to
the general public, and catapulted Adelaide and Ellington to
international stardom. The next year Adelaide starred on Broadway in
"Blackbirds of 1928" with
Bill Robinson (aka "Bojangles").
The show went on to become the longest-running all-black revue ever to
appear on Broadway, a record that remains unbroken. The show gave
Adelaide three hit songs: "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", "Diga
Diga Do" and "I Must Have That Man." She and Bojangles became the black
equivalent to Fred Astaire and
Adele Astaire and the show made her the
first black international superstar (Josephine Baker at the time was
only a star in Europe, not the US). In 1929 she performed in the
"Blackbirds of 1928" revue in Paris, France, at the world-famous Moulin
Rouge for three months. The New Amsterdan News reported that "Adelaide
Hall takes Paris by storm." The next year she returned to Broaeway and
co-starred with Bojangles in "Brown Buddies", to great acclaim. In 1931
she began a world tour that lasted for almost two years and took her to
two continents, played to over a million people and made her the
wealthiest black woman in America. During the tour she discovered the
blind pianist Art Tatum, whom she employed as
her pianist. In 1934 she starred at Harlem's Cotton Club for eight
months in one of the club's most successful revue, during which she
introduced Harold Arlen's timeless classic
"Ill Wind" and the raunchy "Primitive Prima Donna", which were
especially written for her. She made her film debut the next year in
the musical short
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show (1935)
for Vitaphone, which also starred
The Nicholas Brothers.
She moved to Paris in 1936 and for the next three years toured
extensively all over Europe. She starred in a production of "The Sun
Never Sets" at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1938 with
Todd Duncan, with music by
Cole Porter. In 1939 she settled in Great
Britain, where she spent the remainder of her life. She appeared in the
classic fantasy
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) in
1940, and during the war she joined ENSA and toured military facilities
in Britain and abroad, entertaining the troops, and at the end of the
war she was actually one of the first entertainers to perform in
Germany.
For the next 20 years Adelaide was Britain's most famous and successful
black female vocalist. She had numerous shows on the BBC, including
"Harlem in Mayfair" (1939), "Dark Sohistication" (1943), "Starlight"
(1947), "Variety in Sepia" (1949), "Black Magic" (1949), and "Old Songs
for New". She also made over 50 recordings for Decca Records. In 1951
she starred in Cole Porter's musical "Kiss Me Kate" at London's
Coliseum Theatre, a show that ran for a year, then went on tour. The
next year she starred in "Love from Judy" at London's Saville Theatre,
which also ran fora year and then went on tour. In 1956 she starred in
"Someone to Talk To" at London's Duchess Theatre. The next year she
returned to the US and starred on Broadway in the musical "Jamaica"
with Lena Horne.
The 1960s were not good career-wise for Adelaide, and her star faded
considerably. Horever, in 1979 she appeared in the Newport Jazz
Festival's production of "Black Broadway" and te next year she and
Elisabeth Welch and
Edith Wilson starred in a
production of the show at New York's Town Hall. In 1983 she returned to
New York City for a surprise guest appearance at
Eubie Blakes 100th birthday concert. On
April 1 of that year Adelaide starred in "Sacred Music Of Duke
Ellington", which was performed at St Paul's Cathedral in London and
televised. In 1985 she appeared on numerous British television shows
including "A Royal Celebration . . . Forty Years of Peace",
"Omnibus,The Cotton Club Comes to The Ritz" and an episode of
The South Bank Show (1978)
called "The Real Cotton Club". In 1986 Adelaide appeared on the British
TV show "Chasing A Rainbow." Returning to New York two years later, she
starred in a concert at the famed Carnegie Hall. In 1989 her
biographical documentary
Sophisticated Lady (1989)
premiered at the London Film Festival and made its TV debut the next
year.
In 1990 Adelaide recorded and released three albums: "I Touched a
Star", "Hall of Memories" and "Live at the Riverside". She performed in
concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1991 at age 90 in "A Tribute to
Adelaide Hall". On Mardch 4 of the following year she once more
journeyed to New York, this time for a two-day appearance at Carnegie
Hall. Unfortunately, this was her last performance. She died of
pneumonia in London, England, on November 7, 1993.
across the East River to Harlem, and it was here, among the rich and
fertile renaissance of black culture in the 1920s, that Adelaide
nurtured her dreams of becoming a star. Her first stage role was in
1921 in the chorus line of the all-black Broadway musical "Shuffle
Along", which gave her a taste of the limelight. The show ran for 504
performances and then went on tour.
Her next stint on stage came in 1923, when she was featured in the
all-black Broadway musical "Runnin' Wild." Of her performance, Variety
wrote, " . . . picked from the chorus is Adelaide Hall, who can be
termed a real find. She jazzes a number as
Paul Whiteman would have it done,
and her singing of 'Old Fashinoed Love' is a knockout." The show ran
for 213 performances and then went on tour. In 1925 she toured Europe
as lead in "The Chocolate Kiddies Revue". She introduced Europe to the
Charleston dance and performed it to
Duke Ellington's "Jig Walk" (the fact is
that she was a sensation in Europe before the better known
Josephine Baker--who always gets
credited for introducing Europe to the Charleston--did.
In 1927 she recorded "Creole Love Call" on a record, backed by the
Duke Ellington Orchestra. The
record caused a furore after its release because of its blatantly
sexual overtones, but it went on to sell millions of copies and is
still selling. It is widely regarded as among the most famous and
important jazz recordings ever made. It introduced "scat singing" to
the general public, and catapulted Adelaide and Ellington to
international stardom. The next year Adelaide starred on Broadway in
"Blackbirds of 1928" with
Bill Robinson (aka "Bojangles").
The show went on to become the longest-running all-black revue ever to
appear on Broadway, a record that remains unbroken. The show gave
Adelaide three hit songs: "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", "Diga
Diga Do" and "I Must Have That Man." She and Bojangles became the black
equivalent to Fred Astaire and
Adele Astaire and the show made her the
first black international superstar (Josephine Baker at the time was
only a star in Europe, not the US). In 1929 she performed in the
"Blackbirds of 1928" revue in Paris, France, at the world-famous Moulin
Rouge for three months. The New Amsterdan News reported that "Adelaide
Hall takes Paris by storm." The next year she returned to Broaeway and
co-starred with Bojangles in "Brown Buddies", to great acclaim. In 1931
she began a world tour that lasted for almost two years and took her to
two continents, played to over a million people and made her the
wealthiest black woman in America. During the tour she discovered the
blind pianist Art Tatum, whom she employed as
her pianist. In 1934 she starred at Harlem's Cotton Club for eight
months in one of the club's most successful revue, during which she
introduced Harold Arlen's timeless classic
"Ill Wind" and the raunchy "Primitive Prima Donna", which were
especially written for her. She made her film debut the next year in
the musical short
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show (1935)
for Vitaphone, which also starred
The Nicholas Brothers.
She moved to Paris in 1936 and for the next three years toured
extensively all over Europe. She starred in a production of "The Sun
Never Sets" at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1938 with
Todd Duncan, with music by
Cole Porter. In 1939 she settled in Great
Britain, where she spent the remainder of her life. She appeared in the
classic fantasy
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) in
1940, and during the war she joined ENSA and toured military facilities
in Britain and abroad, entertaining the troops, and at the end of the
war she was actually one of the first entertainers to perform in
Germany.
For the next 20 years Adelaide was Britain's most famous and successful
black female vocalist. She had numerous shows on the BBC, including
"Harlem in Mayfair" (1939), "Dark Sohistication" (1943), "Starlight"
(1947), "Variety in Sepia" (1949), "Black Magic" (1949), and "Old Songs
for New". She also made over 50 recordings for Decca Records. In 1951
she starred in Cole Porter's musical "Kiss Me Kate" at London's
Coliseum Theatre, a show that ran for a year, then went on tour. The
next year she starred in "Love from Judy" at London's Saville Theatre,
which also ran fora year and then went on tour. In 1956 she starred in
"Someone to Talk To" at London's Duchess Theatre. The next year she
returned to the US and starred on Broadway in the musical "Jamaica"
with Lena Horne.
The 1960s were not good career-wise for Adelaide, and her star faded
considerably. Horever, in 1979 she appeared in the Newport Jazz
Festival's production of "Black Broadway" and te next year she and
Elisabeth Welch and
Edith Wilson starred in a
production of the show at New York's Town Hall. In 1983 she returned to
New York City for a surprise guest appearance at
Eubie Blakes 100th birthday concert. On
April 1 of that year Adelaide starred in "Sacred Music Of Duke
Ellington", which was performed at St Paul's Cathedral in London and
televised. In 1985 she appeared on numerous British television shows
including "A Royal Celebration . . . Forty Years of Peace",
"Omnibus,The Cotton Club Comes to The Ritz" and an episode of
The South Bank Show (1978)
called "The Real Cotton Club". In 1986 Adelaide appeared on the British
TV show "Chasing A Rainbow." Returning to New York two years later, she
starred in a concert at the famed Carnegie Hall. In 1989 her
biographical documentary
Sophisticated Lady (1989)
premiered at the London Film Festival and made its TV debut the next
year.
In 1990 Adelaide recorded and released three albums: "I Touched a
Star", "Hall of Memories" and "Live at the Riverside". She performed in
concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1991 at age 90 in "A Tribute to
Adelaide Hall". On Mardch 4 of the following year she once more
journeyed to New York, this time for a two-day appearance at Carnegie
Hall. Unfortunately, this was her last performance. She died of
pneumonia in London, England, on November 7, 1993.