Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) was a Brooklyn-born singer, actress, and performer. She made her debut in one of the first Black-led Broadway shows and remained a fixture both on New York’s Broadway and London’s West End for more than three decades. Her contributions to Duke Ellington’s “Creole Love Call” are also believed to be one of the first recordings of “scat” singing. Adelaide settled in Europe in her later years, ultimately making her home in London.
For Further Reading:
- Harlem World: The Legendary Adelaide Louise Hall’s Rich Harlem History, 1901 – 1993
- Wolfgang's Documentaries & Interviews: Adelaide Hall - Interview - 7/6/1980 - Town Hall Theatre (Official)
- British Library: Oral History of Jazz in Britain: Max Jones interviews Adelaide Hall
- BFI: Adelaide Hall at the Nightingale Club, London (1948)
This Black History Month, we’re talking about Renaissance Women. As part of the famed cultural and artistic Harlem Renaissance movement, these women found beauty in an often ugly world.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, and Vanessa Handy. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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