Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer, comedian and author. After appearing in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of '' Hello, Dolly!'' in 1968. In 1986, she won a

Daytime Emmy award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

for her performance as a fairy godmother in the

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American anthology television series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controve ...

''Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale''. Her rendition of " Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952. In 1976, she became the first African-American to receive the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She received the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

on October 17, 1988.

Early life

Bailey was born in Newport News,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

to the Reverend Joseph James and Ella Mae Ricks Bailey. When she was very young, the family moved to Washington, DC. After her parents' divorce, Bailey moved to Philadelphia to live with her mother. Bailey made her stage-singing debut at the age of 15. Her brother

Bill Bailey Mark Robert Bailey (born 13 January 1965), known professionally as Bill Bailey, is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom '' Black Books'' (2000–2004), and for his regula ...

was beginning his own career as a tap dancer and suggested that she enter an amateur contest at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia. Bailey won and was offered $35 a week to perform there for two weeks. However, the theater closed during her engagement and she was not paid. She later won a similar competition at

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

's famous

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

and decided to pursue a career in entertainment. She was also known to have performed in the church choir at St Peter Claver Catholic Church in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, at the behest of Msgr Bernard J. Quinn.

Career

Bailey began by singing and dancing in Philadelphia's black nightclubs in the 1930s, and soon started performing in other parts of the East Coast. In 1941, during World War II, Bailey toured the country with the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, performing for American troops. After the tour, she settled in New York. Her solo successes as a nightclub performer were followed by acts with entertainers such as

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

. In 1946, Bailey made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman''. For her performance, she won a Donaldson Award as the best Broadway newcomer. Bailey continued to tour and record albums along with her stage and screen performances. Early in the television medium, Bailey guest starred on CBS's ''

Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town ''Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town'', also known as ''Wonderful Town, USA'', is a half-hour variety television series that aired on CBS from June 16, 1951, to April 19, 1952, in which Faye Emerson visits various cities. Episodes of the program wer ...

''.

Female impersonator Lynne Carter credited Bailey with launching his career. In 1967, Bailey and Cab Calloway headlined an all-black cast version of '' Hello, Dolly!'' The touring version was so successful that producer David Merrick took it to Broadway, where it played to sold-out houses and revitalized the long-running musical. Bailey was given a special

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for her role, and

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

released a second original-cast album, the only recording of the score to have an overture written especially for the recording. Pearl Bailey Ed Sullivan Show 1968

A passionate fan of the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, Bailey sang the national anthem at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.1969 World Series, and appears in the World Series highlight film showing her support for the team. She also sang the national anthem prior to Game 1 of the

1981 World Series The 1981 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1981 Major League Baseball season, 1981 season. The 78th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Lea ...

between the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

. Bailey hosted her own variety series on ABC, '' The Pearl Bailey Show'' (January – May 1971), which featured many notable guests, including

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(one of his last appearances before his death). Following her 1971 television series, she provided voices for animations such as '' Tubby the Tuba'' (1976) and Disney's ''

The Fox and the Hound ''The Fox and the Hound'' is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a r ...

'' (1981). She returned to Broadway in 1975, playing the lead in an all-black production of '' Hello, Dolly!''. In October 1975, she was invited by Betty Ford to sing for Egyptian president

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar es-Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until Assassination of Anwar Sadat, his assassination by fundame ...

at a

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

state dinner as part of

Mideast The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

peace initiative. She earned a degree in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

in Washington, D.C., in 1985 at age 67. It took her seven years to earn her degree. At Georgetown, she was a student of the philosopher Wilfrid Desan. Later in her career, Bailey was a fixture as a spokesperson in a series of Duncan Hines commercials, singing "Bill Bailey (Won't You Come Home)." She also appeared in commercials for

Jell-O Jell-O (stylized in all caps) is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert ( genericized as jello) is the signature of ...

, Westinghouse and Paramount Chicken. In her later years, Bailey wrote several books: ''The Raw Pearl'' (1968), ''Talking to Myself'' (1971), ''Pearl's Kitchen'' (1973) and ''Hurry Up America and Spit'' (1976). In 1975, she was appointed special ambassador to the United Nations by President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

, a position she held under three presidents. In 1976, she won the Coretta Scott King Award for her children's book ''Duey's Tale''. Her last book, ''Between You and Me'' (1989), details her experiences with higher education. On January 19, 1985, she appeared on a nationally televised broadcast gala the night before the second inauguration of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. In 1988, Bailey received the

from President Reagan.

Personal life

Bailey went through a number of failed marriages in her earlier adult years. She married John Randolph Pinkett, either her third or fourth husband, when she was 30 years old, and divorced him four years later, accusing him of physical abuse. On November 19, 1952, Bailey married jazz drummer

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

in London. They remained married until her death nearly 38 years later in 1990. Bellson was six years Bailey's junior and white. Interracial couples were rare at that time, and Bellson's father was reportedly opposed to the marriage because of Bailey's race. They later adopted a son, Tony, in the mid-1950s. A daughter, Dee Dee Jean Bellson, was born April 20, 1960. Tony Bellson died in 2004. Dee Dee Bellson died on July 4, 2009, at the age of 49, five months after her father, who died on February 14. Bailey, a Republican, was appointed by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

as the nation's "Ambassador of Love" in 1970. She attended several meetings of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and later appeared in a campaign ad for President

in the 1976 election. She was awarded the Bronze Medallion in 1968, the highest award conferred upon civilians by New York City. Bailey was a close friend of actress

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

. In 1969, Crawford and Bailey joined fellow friend Gypsy Rose Lee in accepting a USO award. That same year, Bailey was recognized as USO's woman of the year. Upon Crawford's death in May 1977, Bailey spoke of Crawford as her sister and sang a hymn at her funeral. American socialite Perle Mesta was another of Bailey's close friends. In the waning days of Mesta's life, Bailey visited Mesta frequently and sang hymns for her.

Death

Bailey died at

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the flagship hospital of Jefferson Health, a multi-state non-profit health system based in Philadelphia. The hospital serves as the teaching hospital for Thomas Jefferson University. With 937 licensed b ...

in Philadelphia on August 17, 1990. An autopsy confirmed the death was caused by the narrowing of a

coronary artery The coronary arteries are the arterial blood vessels of coronary circulation, which transport oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. The heart requires a continuous supply of oxygen to function and survive, much like any other tissue or organ of ...

. Bailey had suffered from heart problems for over thirty years. Bailey is buried at Rolling Green Memorial Park in

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West ...

Remembrances

The television show ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...

'' features Pearl Bailey High School . The 1969 song "We Got More Soul" by Dyke and the Blazers includes Bailey in its roster of icons. A dress owned by Bailey is at the

National Museum of African American History and Culture The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), colloquially known as the Blacksonian, is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in 2003 an ...

. A library in her hometown of Newport News, Virginia, is named after her.

Performances

Film *'' Variety Girl'' (1947) – Pearl Bailey – Singer *''

Isn't It Romantic Isn't It Romantic may refer to: *"Isn't It Romantic?", a 1932 song by Rodgers and Hart *Isn't It Romantic? (1948 film), ''Isn't It Romantic?'' (1948 film), a musical starring Veronica Lake and Billy De Wolfe *Isn't It Romantic (2019 film), ''Isn't ...

'' (1948) – Addie *'' Carmen Jones'' (1954) – Frankie *'' That Certain Feeling'' (1956) – Augusta aka Gussie *''

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

'' (1958) – Aunt Hagar *''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' ( ) is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy (play), ...

'' (1959) – Maria *'' All the Fine Young Cannibals'' (1960) – Ruby *'' The Landlord'' (1970) – Marge *'' Tubby the Tuba'' (1975) – Mrs. Elephant (voice) *'' Norman... Is That You?'' (1976) – Beatrice Chambers *''

'' (1981) – Big Mama – Owl (voice) Television *''

The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (prior to 1960) – Herself *''

The Andy Williams Show ''The Andy Williams Show'' is an American television variety show hosted by singer Andy Williams that ran on NBC (and was videotaped in color) from 1962 to 1971 (alternating during the summer of 1970 with ''Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens'') ...

'' (1963) – Herself *''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' (1968) – Guest Star *''Mike and Pearl'' (1968) – Herself *''Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway'' (1969) – Herself *'' The Pearl Bailey Show'' (1971)
(midseason replacement series) – Herself – Host / Singer *''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harv ...

'' (1972) – Guest Star * ''One More Time'' (1974), a CBS musical comedy special
with Carol Channing,

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His arched eyeb ...

and others – Herself''One More Time''
Press Release at Wikimedia Commons *''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'' (1977) – Millie Washington *''All-Star Salute to Pearl Bailey'' (1979) – Herself *''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a variety sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and starring the Muppets. It is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with ongoing plot-lines with ru ...

'' (1979) – Herself *''

The Member of the Wedding ''The Member of the Wedding'' is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete, although she interrupted the work for a few months to write the novella '' The Ballad of the Sad Café''.McDowell, Mar ...

'' (1982) – Bernice Sadie Brown *''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

'' (cast member in 1982) – Herself *''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' (1989) (unsold pilot) – Mother (final television appearance) Pearl Bailey Nanette Fabray Arms and the Girl 1950

Pearl Bailey Perry Como The Pearl Bailey Show 1971

Theater *'' St. Louis Woman'' (1946) (Broadway) *'' Arms and the Girl'' (1950) (Broadway) *''Bless You All'' (1950) (Broadway) *'' House of Flowers'' (1954) (Broadway) *'' Les Poupées de Paris'' (1962) (Off-Broadway) (voice only) *'' Call Me Madam'' (1966) ( Melodyland Theater) *'' Hello, Dolly!'' (1967)
(Broadway and US national tour) *'' Hello, Dolly!'' (1975) (Broadway)

Discography

* ''Pearl Bailey Entertains'' (1950) and 1953 * ''Birth of the Blues'' (1952) * ''Cultured Pearl'' (1952) * ''I'm with You'' (1953) * ''Say Si Si'' (1953) * ''Around the World with Me'' (1954) * ''Carmelina'' (1955) * ''The Intoxicating Pearl Bailey'' (1956) * ''The One and Only Pearl Bailey Sings'' (1956) * ''Gems by Pearl Bailey'' (1958) * ''Porgy & Bess'', original motion picture soundtrack (1959) (Grammy Award winner) * ''Pearl Bailey A-Broad'' (1959) * ''Pearl Bailey Sings for Adults Only'' (1959) * ''Pearl Bailey Plus Margie Anderson Singing the Blues'' (1960?) * ''More Songs for Adults Only'' (1960) * ''For Adult Listening'' (1960) * ''Naughty but Nice'' (1960) * ''Songs of the Bad Old Days'' (1960) * ''Pearl Bailey Sings the Songs of Harold Arlen'' (1961) * ''Come On, Let's Play with Pearlie Mae'' (1962) * ''Happy Sounds'' (1962) * ''All About Good Little Girls and Bad Little Boys'' (1963) * ''C'est La Vie'' (1963) * '' Les Poupées de Paris'' (1964) * ''Songs By James Van Heusen'' (1964) * ''The Risque World of Pearl Bailey'' (1964) * ''For Women Only'' (1965) * ''The Jazz Singer'' (1965) * '' Hello, Dolly!'' (1967 Broadway cast) * ''After Hours'' (1969) * ''Pearl's Pearls'' (1971)

Bibliography

*''The Raw Pearl'' (1968) (autobiography) *''Talking to Myself'' (1971) (autobiography) *''Pearl's Kitchen: An Extraordinary Cookbook'' (1973) *''Duey's Tale'' (1975) (Photos and Design by

Arnold Skolnick Arnold H. Skolnick (February 25, 1937 – June 15, 2022) was an American graphic artist and book publisher. His best-known work is the original 1969 poster for the Woodstock Art and Music Fair. 1969 Woodstock poster Skolnick's 1969 Woodsto ...

) *''Hurry Up America and Spit'' (1976) *''Between You and Me: A Heartfelt Memoir on Learning, Loving, and Living'' (1989)

References

External links

* * *
Pearl Bailey Collection
at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

*
Pearl Bailey papers
fro
African American Museum in Philadelphia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Pearl 20th-century African-American actresses 20th-century African-American women singers African-American television personalities 1918 births 1990 deaths African-American Christians Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Special Tony Award recipients American film actresses American cookbook writers People from Hampton Roads American women food writers 20th-century American memoirists American women memoirists American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American voice actresses Black conservatism in the United States American vaudeville performers Daytime Emmy Award winners Donaldson Award winners Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences alumni Mercury Records artists Roulette Records artists RCA Victor artists Pennsylvania Republicans Virginia Republicans People from Southampton County, Virginia Musicians from Newport News, Virginia People from Newport News, Virginia Singers from Virginia 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American women writers Coretta Scott King Award winners