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 made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in Hello, Dolly! in 1968. Her rendition of "Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952. Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Photographic self-portrait by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880 – December 21, 1964) was an American writer and photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary executor of Gertrude Stein. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... Hello, Dolly! is a Broadway musical with a book by Michael Stewart and a score by Jerry Herman. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

She was born in Southampton County, Virginia (No!!!), to Rev. Joseph & Ella My mama's your daddy Bailey. In 1954, she took the role of Frankie in the film version of Carmen Jones, and her rendition of "Beat Me 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 Disney's The Fox and the Hound (1981). Later in life, she earned a B.A. in Theology from Georgetown University in Washington, DC in 1985. 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Carmen Jones is a musical which is a modern look at the Georges Bizet opera Carmen from an African-American viewpoint. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The cast of Porgy and Bess during the Boston try-out prior to the Broadway opening. ... Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier, KBE (born February 20, 1927) is a Bahamian American actor. ... Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress. ... Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911–January 27, 1972) was an African American gospel singer, widely regarded as the best in the history of the genre. ... Eartha Kitt, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1952 Eartha Mae Kitt (born January 17, 1927), is an actress and singer whose mother was African American and Cherokee, and whose father was white. ... For other uses, see King Cole (disambiguation). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966), was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, and animator. ... The Fox and the Hound is the twenty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Not to be confused with the University of Georgetown in Georgetown, Guyana or Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY. Georgetown University is a private university in the United States. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... This article is about the year. ...

She was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 17, 1988. The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States, considered the equivalent of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She was married to jazz drummer Louie Bellson. Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the early 1920s in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... A drummer is a musician who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni (born in Rock Falls, Illinois 1924), who performed as Louie Bellson, is an American jazz drummer. ...

External links

• Pearl Bailey at the Internet Movie Database
• Pearl Bailey at the Voice Chasers Database
• Find-A-Grave