There were a few things that were unclear about Herb Jeffries, the handsome actor/singer/songwriter, whose career spanned seven decades. His year of birth was given, at various times, as either 1913 or 1914. He often told conflicting stories about his father — whether he was French or Sicilian or of African descent. It was also …
‘Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form. “Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm.”
Statuesque Tamara Dobson participated in a few fashion shows while attending the Maryland Institute College of Art. Working her way towards a degree in fashion illustration, she began modeling and was soon appearing in commercials. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she modeled, appearing regularly in Vogue and Essence magazines. She represented high fashion …
Oh, a cowboy needs a horse, needs a horse, needs a horse And he’s gotta have a rope, have a rope, have a rope And he oughta’ have a song, have a song, have a song If he wants to keep ridin’ Now a cowboy needs a hat, needs a hat, needs a hat And …
Lucille Bogan began recording in the early 20s, for Okeh Records the record division of the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation. Okeh was a major producer of “race records.” They released early recordings by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and future Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel. Lucille mostly recorded in New York City, but at the end of 1923, …
Its numerous jug handles and laws prohibiting self-serve gas pumping aside, New Jersey is, admittedly, a pretty weird place. One of the more mysterious things to happen in New Jersey occurred, quite fittingly, on Shades of Death Road in Warren County. Shades of Death Road is a stretch of two-lane highway that runs approximately north …
The daughter of sharecroppers, Theresa Harris was born on New Year’s Eve 1906. Her family moved to Southern California when she was 11 and she longed to become an actress. In 1930, she made he debut in the gangster tale Thunderbolt, where she was featured in an uncredited performance singing “Daddy, Won’t You Please Come Home?” Soon. she …
“I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Abe Vigoda died earlier this week. His career bridged eight decades and he spent the last few of those decades convincing the public that he wasn’t dead. He played mostly bit parts in the early days of television including long stints on the popular soap operas As The World Turns and Dark Shadows. Always giving the …
Oh buy the corned beef if you must, The pickled herring you can trust, And the lox puts you in orbit A-OK. But that big hunk of liverwurst Has been there since October First, And today is the Twenty-Third of May!
