Coming to you from the Cotton Club in Harlem ...
I must rely all the Jazz, Dance, Laughs, Thrills, and Chills that spills from the stage to the seats. Making it's transformation from Lenox Avenue to Forty-Eighth Street as The Cotton Club Comes to Broadway!
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP ...
|
BREAKING NEWS: Ladies and gentlemen, direct from the satirical all black film Rufus Jones for President featuring seven year old Sammy Davis, Jr., this lady entertainer, comes to you having done such performances as "Dinah", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Someday Sweetheart", and "What Did I Do To Be So Black and Blue". She has performed and recorded with such notables as Will Marion Cook to Lovie Austin. She's toured with the Black Swan Dance Masters and joined the traditional white audience based Keith Vaudeville Circuit. Singing from blues to Broadway with such a genius talent as Duke Ellington, she has been signed with Black Swan turned Paramount, Columbia, Decca, and that specialty label "Liberty Music Shops", she's here to perform her signature tune "Am I Blue?" composed by herself and Pearl Wright with the help of Harry Akst. I'm speaking out none other than Ms. Ethel Waters.
|
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP ...
Before The Cotton Club would be turned in the infamous night spot history holds in the minds of people today, with Owner, Owney Madden, behind the operating scenes, it all started with the former heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson. The 1918 newly constructed building on the northeast corner of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, then called the Douglas Theatre, was a two story building operating under dual purposes: the street floor was for showcasing feature films and occasional vaudeville acts; the story above, a potential a dance hall. With the success of The Renaissance Casino on West 133rd Street though, this would prove to be an impossible feet. In steps in the Champ Jack Johnson, who also held the title of amateur cellist and bull fidder to his belt. But most importantly, he was a connoisseur of the Harlem night life. Thus the intimate supper club, The Club Deluxe was born. However, with still very little success with growing the business, let's just say management underwent some changes, a deal was made for Madden (who was in Sing Sing at the time), run by "front man" Walter Brooks, The Cotton Club was born.
If only I could hold out my spout, and pour some more fuel into this tank, I assure you the ship wouldn't sink, because my lips are tight, out of sight of those who might be trying to twist the story. In which case I'll come back here same time, same place, to grace this face at the mic, and I won't need Tom, Dick, or Ike to tell you what's hot off the press at The Cotton Club's Harlem nights.
Goodnight everybody!
For more NEWSFLASH WITH BETTY GREY 1930s Edition:
1939: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE ACADEMY AWARDS EDITION | 1939: Newsflash with Betty Grey - HOLLYWOODLAND AND ENTERTAINERS EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET-IN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE HI-DE-HO MIRACLE MAN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - COTTON CLUB IN HALEM GAZETTE | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE OUTLAW BULLETIN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - FLOW GENTLY, SWEET RHYTHM EDITION | 1930's: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE WORLD IS YOURS EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IT DON'T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN'T GOT THAT SWING | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - HI-YO-SILVER! | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IT'S THE ONE AND ONLY LENOX AVE. | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE BROWN DERBY EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE "COOKE" EXPRESS | 1930's: Newsflash with Betty Grey - WELCOME TO CONEY ISLAND | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IMITATION THE 30S EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - "CAN'T REPEAT THE PAST?" EDITION
1939: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE ACADEMY AWARDS EDITION | 1939: Newsflash with Betty Grey - HOLLYWOODLAND AND ENTERTAINERS EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET-IN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE HI-DE-HO MIRACLE MAN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - COTTON CLUB IN HALEM GAZETTE | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE OUTLAW BULLETIN | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - FLOW GENTLY, SWEET RHYTHM EDITION | 1930's: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE WORLD IS YOURS EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IT DON'T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN'T GOT THAT SWING | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - HI-YO-SILVER! | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IT'S THE ONE AND ONLY LENOX AVE. | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE BROWN DERBY EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - THE "COOKE" EXPRESS | 1930's: Newsflash with Betty Grey - WELCOME TO CONEY ISLAND | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - IMITATION THE 30S EDITION | 1930s: Newsflash with Betty Grey - "CAN'T REPEAT THE PAST?" EDITION