Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hall entered the ''

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' in 2003 as the world's most enduring recording artist, having released material over eight consecutive decades."Devotees – Honours and Tributes"
(researched and compiled by Stephen Bourne), Devotional. Adelaide Hall enters ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the World's most enduring recording artiste. She performed with major artists such as

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

, Josephine Baker,

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

, Lena Horne,

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

Fela Sowande Chief Olufela Obafunmilayo "Fela" Sowande MBE (29 May 1905 – 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works i ...

, Rudy Vallee and

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric ...

, and recorded as a jazz singer with Duke Ellington (with whom she made her most famous recording, "

Creole Love Call "Creole Love Call" is a jazz standard, most associated with the Duke Ellington band and Adelaide Hall. It entered the ''Billboard'' USA song charts in 1928 at No. 29.Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

Early life and marriage

Adelaide Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, to Elizabeth and Arthur William Hall in 1901. Adelaide and her sister Evelyn attended the Pratt Institute, where William Hall taught piano; Evelyn died of influenza in 1918, by which time her father had also died, leaving Adelaide to support herself and her mother. In 1924, Hall married the British sailor Bertram Errol Hicks, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago. Soon after their marriage he opened a club in

Harlem, New York 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 Harle ...

, called "The Big Apple" and became her official business manager.

American career 1921–1935

Hall began her stage career in 1921 on Broadway in the chorus line of Noble Sissle's and

Eubie Blake James Hubert "Eubie" Blake (February 7, 1887 – February 12, 1983) was an American pianist and composer of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, he and his long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote ''Shuffle Along'', one of the first Bro ...

's musical '' Shuffle Along.'' ''Shuffle Along'' became a huge hit and propelled Hall's career. She went on to appear in a number of similar black musical shows, including '' Runnin' Wild'' on Broadway in 1923, in which she sang

James P. Johnson James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer. A pioneer of stride piano, he was one of the most important pianists in the early era of recording, and like Jelly Roll Morton, one of the key ...

's hit song "Old-Fashioned Love".

''Chocolate Kiddies'' European tour, 1925

In 1925, Hall toured Europe with the ''

Chocolate Kiddies The ''Chocolate Kiddies'' is a three-act Broadway-styled revue that, in its inaugural production – from May to September 1925 – toured Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. The show never actually performed on Broadway, but was conceived ...

'' revue. The show included songs written by Duke Ellington. Hall was hired to join the cast of the ''Chocolate Kiddies'' revue in New York, where they rehearsed before setting sail for Europe. The initial tour started at Hamburg, Germany, on 17 May 1925, and ended in Paris, France, in December 1925, visiting many major cities in-between. The revue was designed to give Europeans a sampling of black entertainment from New York. Included in the cast were The Three Eddies,

Lottie Gee Lottie Gee ''(née'' Charlotte O. Gee; 17 August 1886 Millboro, Virginia – 13 January 1973 Los Angeles) was an American entertainer who performed in shows and musicals during the Harlem Renaissance. She is perhaps best known as a performer in ...

, Rufus Greenlee and Thaddeus Drayton, Bobbie and Babe Goins, Charles Davis and Sam Wooding and his Orchestra. After the initial tour disbanded, Sam Wooding and his Orchestra continued touring the ''Chocolate Kiddies'' revue for several years later. During Hall's visit to Germany she also sang at Berlin's renowned transvestite club, the Eldorado Café. The venue is immortalised in

Christopher Isherwood Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986) was an Anglo-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. His best-known works include '' Goodbye to Berlin'' (1939), a semi-autobiographical ...

's 1939 novel ''

Goodbye to Berlin ''Goodbye to Berlin'' is a 1939 novel by Anglo-American writer Christopher Isherwood set during the waning days of the Weimar Republic. The novel recounts Isherwood's 1929–1932 sojourn as a pleasure-seeking British expatriate on the eve of Ado ...

'', as well as in the 1972 film ''Cabaret'' and the musical of the same name. In 1926, Hall appeared in the short-lived Broadway musical ''My Magnolia'', which had a score written by

Luckey Roberts Charles Luckyth Roberts (August 7, 1887 – February 5, 1968), better known as Luckey Roberts, was an American composer and stride pianist who worked in the jazz, ragtime, and blues styles. Biography Luckey Roberts was born in Philadelphia, ...

and Alex C. Rogers, after which she appeared in ''Tan Town Topics'' with songs written by

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

. Hall then starred in ''Desires of 1927'' (with a score written by

Andy Razaf Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose". Biography Razaf was born in Washi ...

and

J. C. Johnson Jay Cee Johnson (September 14, 1896 – February 27, 1981), usually known as J. C. Johnson and in some sources, mistakenly, as James C. Johnson (not to be confused with his near-contemporary James P. Johnson), was an American pianist and songwrite ...

), which toured America from October 1926 through to September 1927.Desires of 1927' – A Riot at Elmore" (review)
''The Pittsburgh Courier'', 27 November 1926.

''Tan Town Topics'', Small's Paradise and ''Desires of 1927''

In 1926, upon Hall's return to New York after touring Europe with the ''Chocolate Kiddies'', she was featured in ''Tan Town Topics'', a revue containing songs written by

and Spencer Williams. The cast included

, Eddie Rector and

Ralph Cooper Ralph Cooper (January 16, 1908 – August 4, 1992), was an American actor, screenwriter, dancer and choreographer. Cooper is best known as the original master of ceremonies and founder of amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York ...

, Hall, Maude Mills, Arthur Gaines, Leondus Simmons and a dance troupe called the Tan Town Topics Vamps. The show opened at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre on 5 April followed by a short road tour on the eastern

Theater Owners Booking Association Theatre Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s. The theaters mostly had white owners, though there were exceptions, including the recently restored Morton Theater in Athens, ...

(TOBA) circuit taking in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, Chicago and Philadelphia. During July 1926, Hall appeared in residency with Lottie Gee and the

Southern Syncopated Orchestra Southern Syncopated Orchestra (SSO), established first in the U.S. as the New York Syncopated Orchestra, was an early jazz group known for bringing Black musicians to the UK. The group was founded by Will Marion Cook. Members of the group include ...

at Small's Paradise, New York. On Tuesday, 5 October, Hall appeared again at Small's Paradise at a special party, "Handy Night", hosted by the venue to honour

W. C. Handy William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musici ...

and to celebrate the release of his newly published book ''Blues: An Anthology—Complete Words and Music of 53 Great Songs''. For entertainment, Hall, Lottie Gee, Maude White and Chic Collins provided a selection of jazz and blues numbers. From October 1926, Hall toured America playing the TOBA circuit until September 1927 in the highly praised show ''Desires of 1927'', conceived by J. Homer Tutt and produced by impresario Irvin C. Miller. As the ''

Pittsburgh Courier The ''Pittsburgh Courier'' was an African-American weekly newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1907 until October 22, 1966. By the 1930s, the ''Courier'' was one of the leading black newspapers in the United States. It was acqu ...

'' noted: "Adelaide Hall and assistants have some show. Speed, pretty girls, catchy music, a touch of art, which touches the border line of nudity – the names of such well-known stage celebrities as Adelaide Hall, J. Homer Tutt, Henry 'Gang' Jones, the Harmony Trio, Charles Hawkins, Arthur Porter, 'Billy' McKelvey and Clarence Nance." Billed as the star "soubrette" of the show, Hall's performance included several songs (most notably "Sweet Virginia Bliss"), flat-foot dancing and accompanying herself on the ukulele while singing.

Recordings with Duke Ellington

In New York in October 1927, Hall recorded her wordless vocals on "

Creole Love Call "Creole Love Call" is a jazz standard, most associated with the Duke Ellington band and Adelaide Hall. It entered the ''Billboard'' USA song charts in 1928 at No. 29.Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, and on November 3, 1927, Hall recorde
"''Chicago Stomp Down''"
with Duke Ellington and The Chicago Footwarmers for Okeh Records. "Creole Love Call" became a worldwide hit and catapulted both Hall's and Ellington's careers into the mainstream. For historical reasons, the story behind "Creole Love Call"s conception is interesting to recount: In 1927, Hall and Duke Ellington were touring in the same show, ''Dance Mania''. The show played several large cities before reaching New York City. In mid-November, Hall travelled from Chicago (where she had been performing at the Sunset Café) to New York City in her Packard automobile with her husband Bert. When they arrived in New York, Hall was approached in 7th Avenue by a reporter, who enquired about her career plans. Hall, however, declined to enlighten the reporter. Nevertheless, Miss Hall's reappearance in New York City garnered much speculation, as she was featured on the front pages of several newspapers, encouraging rumours she would soon be starring in a big

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show. In the meantime, Hall and Ellington appeared together in ''Dance Mania'' at the Lafayette Theatre, Harlem, from 14 November for one week, before heading off with the show to play in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Standard Theatre. In ''Dance Mania'', Hall closed the first half of the bill and Duke and his orchestra performed in the second half. Duke had a new number "

Creole Love Call "Creole Love Call" is a jazz standard, most associated with the Duke Ellington band and Adelaide Hall. It entered the ''Billboard'' USA song charts in 1928 at No. 29.I was standing in the wings behind the piano when Duke first played it ("Creole Love Call"). I started humming along with the band. He stopped the number and came over to me and said, "That's just what I was looking for. Can you do it again?" I said, "I can't, because I don't know what I was doing." He begged me to try. Anyway, I did, and sang this counter melody, and he was delighted and said "Addie, you're going to record this with the band." A couple of days later I did. Cotton Club 1930

When Duke was recounting the incident to a reporter he explained, "We had to do something to employ Adelaide Hall," and then added, "I always say we are primitive artists, we only employ the materials at hand ... the band is an accumulation of personalities, tonal devices." On 4 December 1927, Ellington and his Orchestra commenced their residency at Harlem's

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

in a revue called ''Rhythmania''. The show featured Hall singing "Creole Love Call". In 1928, "Creole Love Call" entered the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' song charts at No. 29 (USA). On 7 January 1933, Hall and Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra recorded "I Must Have That Man" and "Baby".

''Blackbirds of 1928''

In 1928, Hall starred on Broadway with

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

, Tim Moore and

Aida Ward Aida Ward (February 11, 1900 – June 23, 1984) was an American jazz singer. Born in Washington, D.C., Ward rose to fame in the 1920s and 1930s in New York, on Broadway and at Harlem's Cotton Club. She appeared alongside Adelaide Hall and Bill ...

in ''

Blackbirds of 1928 ''Blackbirds of 1928'' was a hit Broadway musical revue that starred Adelaide Hall, Bill Bojangles Robinson, Tim Moore and Aida Ward, with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It contained the hit songs "Diga Diga Do", the duo's f ...

''. The show became the most successful all-black show ever staged on Broadway at that time and made Hall and Bojangles into household names. ''Blackbirds of 1928'' was the idea of impresario Lew Leslie, who planned to build the show around

Florence Mills Florence Mills (born Florence Winfrey; January 25, 1896 – November 1, 1927), billed as the "Queen of Happiness", was an American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian. Life and career Florence Mills (Florence Winfrey) was born a daughter of for ...

in New York after her success in the hit London show ''Blackbirds'' but Mills died of pneumonia in 1927 before rehearsals commenced. Hall was chosen to replace her. The revue opened at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928, under the name ''Blackbird Revue'', but it was renamed ''Blackbirds of 1928'' and in May 1928 transferred to Broadway's

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnersh ...

, where it ran for 518 performances. After a slow start, the show became the hit of the season. Hall's performance of "Diga Diga Do", created a sensation. Her mother was so incensed when she went to see the show by her daughter performing what she termed 'risqué dance moves', she tried to stop the show during Hall's performance and banned her from appearing in any future performances. The ban only remained for one performance, and Hall returned triumphantly to her role the following day. It was reported in the press of the day that the show's producer Lew Leslie was so concerned about race violence connected with the controversy surrounding Hall's performance that he took out a hefty insurance policy to cover the cast; the most heavily insured were the principals, Hall and "Bojangles" Robinson. It was this musical that not only secured Hall's success in the USA but also in Europe when the production was taken in 1929 to Paris, France, where it ran for four months at the Moulin Rouge. When Adelaide Hall arrived in Paris from America at the

Gare Saint-Lazare The Gare Saint-Lazare (English: St Lazarus station), officially Paris-Saint-Lazare, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. It serves train services toward Normandy, northwest of Paris, along the Paris–Le H ...

she was greeted by a reception of fans and reporters that was reported to be as large as the reception

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

had received two years earlier when he visited Paris. The French artist Paul Colin illustrated several posters to advertise ''Blackbirds'' run at the Moulin Rouge including one entitled "Le Tumulte Noir – Dancer in Magenta" that captures Hall's performance beautifully, as she is dancing and waving her arms about. An original vintage poster of Hall by Paul Colin advertising ''Blackbirds'' at the Moulin Rouge sold on 2 October 2003 at

Swann Auction Galleries Swann Galleries is a New York City auction house founded in 1941. It is a specialist auctioneer of antique and rare works on paper, and it is considered the oldest continually operating New York specialist auction house. The company has separate ...

in New York for $167,500. In Europe, Hall rivalled Josephine Baker for popularity on the European stage. Vu (magazine) N°77

With ''Blackbirds''′ music score written by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, Hall's performances of the songs "

I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" is an American popular song and jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). The song was introduced by Adelaide Hall at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928 in Lew Le ...

", "Diga Diga Do",Theophilus Lewis
"THE DANCE THAT DAZED MOTHER – "DIGA DIGA DO"--AS DANCED BY ADELAIDE HALL—CREATES SENSATION. "STOP IT!" CRIES MAMA. "ON WITH THE DANCE" BROADWAY DEMANDS"
''The Pittsburgh Courier'', 10 November 1928. "Bandanna Babies" and "I Must Have That Man" made them into household hits, and they continued to be audience favourites throughout her long career. At the end of ''Blackbirds'' tenure at the Moulin Rouge, to thank the cast for their successful run and to welcome in the forthcoming

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

, Lew Leslie threw a big party held in the Paris suburb of Authie and, along with the cast, invited several cultural figures including the visual artist Man Ray, lyricist

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

, writer James Joyce, German composer Kurt Weill, American composer William Grant Still and producer Clarence Robinson. A rare group photograph taken at the event, in which Hall is seated in the centre surrounded by guests including actress and music hall star Mistinguett, recently surfaced and was sold at Swann Auction Galleries, New York, for $2,640. The ''Blackbirds'' cast sailed from France back to the US in the fall of 1929 and upon their arrival almost immediately commenced a road tour of the States opening at the Adelphi Theatre, Chicago, on the evening of 26 November. It was in Chicago during December that Hall unexpectedly quit the production and hastened home to New York. Adelaide Hall c

1930: ''Brown Buddies''

Adelaide Hall and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson in Brown Buddies, on Broadway, 1930

Speculation that Hall and

would be paired up on stage again after Hall quit ''Blackbirds'' at the end of 1929 had been rife among theatrical circles and in newspaper gossip columns. True to the speculation, in 1930, Hall and

starred together twice at New York's

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria * Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, M ...

on Broadway (in February and in August). Both appearances were for a week's engagement. During Hall's February appearance, which was her first ever appearance at the

, she received a roaring welcome in front of a capacity house, and took six bows at the end of her performance. It was also noted in several newspapers that Lew Leslie had tried everything in his capacity bar from erecting a "Rock of Gibraltar" to prevent Hall from appearing at any venue without his consent since she quit ''Blackbirds''. Having failed, Leslie did however manage to put a temporary restraint on her using any of the songs from ''Blackbirds'' in her show. So successful was Hall's collaboration with Bojangles that in October 1930, the pair were teamed up together again, this time by Marty Forkins (Bojangles' manager) to star in the Broadway musical ''Brown Buddies.'' The musical opened on Broadway at the

, where it ran for four months before commencing a road tour of the States.''Brown Buddies'' playbill
Playbill Vault. Dubbed by the press as "a musical comedy in sepia", the core of the music was composed by Millard Thomas but also featured songs by

Shelton Brooks Shelton Brooks (May 4, 1886September 6, 1975) was a Canadian-born African American composer of popular music and jazz. He was known for his ragtime and vaudeville style, and wrote some of the biggest hits of the first third of the 20th century. ...

, Ned Reed,

Porter Grainger Porter Grainger ( Granger; October 22, 1891 − October 30, 1948) was an American pianist, songwriter, playwright, and music publisher. Biography When Grainger was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Granger family name ...

, J. Rosamund Johnson, George A. Little, Arthur Sizemore and Edward G. Nelson. After an out-of-town try-out, the musical opened on 7 October at the

, New York, where it ran a fairly solid run of 111 performances until 10 January 1931.

1931–1932: World concert tour

Adelaide Hall's first American Tour, 1931-32, concert advertised in Stevenson, Washington State, USA

In 1931, Hall embarked on a world concert tour that visited two continents (America and Europe). The tour was estimated to have performed to more than one million people. During the tour, she appeared four times at New York's

. She was accompanied on stage by two pianists who played white grand pianos. It was during this tour that Hall discovered and employed the blind pianist

, whom she brought back to New York with her at the end of the tour. In August 1932, Hall recorded "Strange as It Seems", "

I'll Never Be the Same "I'll Never Be The Same" is a popular song based on an instrumental called "Little Buttercup" written by Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli. After several musicians had recorded the instrumental version, lyrics were written by Gus Kahn. The com ...

", "This Time It's Love" and "You Gave Me Everything but Love" using Art Tatum as one of her pianists on the recordings. A review from 25 January 1932 of her show at the Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee in ''

The Milwaukee Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currentl ...

'' wrote of Hall's performance:

Adelaide Hall, attractive young colored singer, dominates a vaudeville of staggering proportions. Miss Hall has the sort of "blues" voice that gets you and she has a fine dramatic sense. Her interpretation of "River Stay Away From My Door," is strikingly good. And her gowns are lovely.

1932–1933: Larchmont, Westchester County, racist incident

In the fall of 1932, upon her return to New York, Hall and her husband purchased the lease on an exclusive freehold residential estate in the Village of Larchmont in the New York suburb of

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

. As news of her arrival in Larchmont leaked into the local media she began to encounter racial opposition from her white upper-middle-class neighbors, who threatened court action to have Hall evicted. After her home was broken into and an attempt was made to set it alight, news of the attack hit national newspaper headlines: "What's Your Grandfather's Name? Adelaide Hall Asks White Neighbors." Receiving hundreds of letters of support from the American public imploring her to stick it out, Hall stood her ground and in a press statement she issued insisted that she was a true American citizen as her ancestry could be traced back to the Shinnecock Indian tribe of Long Island and as such she had every right to reside where she wished.

1933: Harlem Opera House, New York

For one week commencing Saturday 14 January 1933, Hall returned to New York to appear in a music revue produced by Leonard Harper at the

Harlem Opera House Harlem Opera House was a US opera house located at 211 West 125th Street, in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by architect John B. McElfatrick, it was built in 1889 by Oscar Hammerstein; it was his first thea ...

. A journalist from the ''

'' newspaper who published under the initials T.Y. wrote in his review of Hall's performance that "she was excellent" and that he was so thrilled to be at the show he totally forgot to jot down on his notepad the title of the songs Hall performed. He did however apologise for this mishap. He also mentioned that Hall was accompanied on stage by a guitar "troubadour" and a blind pianist (referring to

) who, he declared, "can really play".

1933: American concert tour

Hall's itinerary included all the principal cities and lasted 30 weeks

World Fair City, Chicago, 1933

Miss Adelaide Hall, the darling girl with the guitar and the mellifluent voice, again stole into the callous hearts of an analytical public at the Regal theater last week. She charmed them with her voice, her poise and beauty. She has a style of singing ' Stormy Weather' all her own. Chicago belonged to Adelaide for one whole week. And her majesty reigned supreme.

On 19 August 1933, the fifth annual

Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic The Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic (also known as The Bud Billiken Day Parade) is an annual parade held since 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bud Billiken Day Parade is the largest African-American parade in the United States of America. Held annu ...

took place during the prestigious Chicago World Fair. African Americans came out in droves to support the event held by the ''

Chicago Defender ''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against J ...

'' local newspaper. The ''Chicago Defender'' had named the event after a weekly column in its children's section written by

Willard Motley Willard Francis Motley (July 14, 1909 – March 4, 1965) was an American writer. Motley published a column in the African-American oriented ''Chicago Defender'' newspaper under the pen-name Bud Billiken. He also worked as a freelance writer, and ...

. Billiken became a symbol of pride, happiness and hope for African-American youth. After the famous parade (the largest to date) a huge free picnic event was held in Washington Park that included games, music, entertainment, dancing and ice cream. Performing in concert at the event in front of an estimated 50,000 people was the parade's guest of honour Adelaide Hall. Also appearing at the event were

, Earl Hines and The Sioux Tribe of Native Americans.

''Stormy Weather Revue'', 1933

In a ''

'' review of the ''Stormy Weather Revue'', starring Hall in New York, dated 29 November 1933, it said that, "Although crippled from a fall into a manhole while appearing in Boston the week previous to her New York engagement, Adelaide Hall, scintillating star of the ''Stormy Weather Revue'', limps across the stage ahead of an array of stars, which go far to label this revue, about the finest to grace the boards," review taken from the

. In October 1933, for the first time in history, the entire floor revue from Harlem's

went on tour, playing theatres in principal cities across the U.S.

Irving Mills Irving Harold Mills (born Isadore Minsky; January 16, 1894 – April 21, 1985) was an American music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz artist promoter. He sometimes used the pseudonyms Goody Goodwin and Joe Primrose. Personal Mills was ...

organised the tour and Hall headlined the cast. Other performers on the bill included the Mills Blue Rhythm Band and George Dewey Washington. The revue was originally called ''The Cotton Club Parade of 1933'', but for the road tour it was changed to the ''Stormy Weather Revue''. As the name implies, the show contained the hit song " Stormy Weather", written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, which had been introduced by

earlier that year at the Cotton Club in the ''Cotton Club Parade of 1933''.

1934: Apollo Theater, Harlem, ''Chocolate Soldiers'' revue

''Chocolate Soldiers'' opened at the new

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in Ne ...

, Harlem, starring Hall in Harlem, New York, 14 February 1934. The show was produced by Clarence Robinson and garnered great attention and acclaim, helping to establish the recently opened Apollo as Harlem's premier theatre.

''The Cotton Club Parade'', 1934

On 23 March 1934, Hall opened at Harlem's

in ''The Cotton Club Parade'' 24th Edition. It was the largest grossing show ever staged there. The show ran for six months at the Cotton Club. In the show Hall introduced the songs " Ill Wind" and "Primitive Prima Donna", which Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler wrote especially for her. It was during Hall's rendition of " Ill Wind" that nitrogen smoke was used to cover the floor of the stage. It was the first time such an effect had ever been used on a stage and caused a sensation. So successful was the show, the entire production went on a roadtour playing in theatre's across America. Adelaide Hall - Cotton Club Revue of 1934, Loew's Metropolitan Theater, Brooklyn, 6 September 1934, (Advertisment)

Adelaide Hall - Cotton Club Revue of 1934, Loew's Metropolitan Theater, Brooklyn, 6 September 1934, (Advertisment)

1935: North and South American concert tour

During 1935, Hall performed another coast-to-coast American/Canadian concert tour that took in the South. Prior to the tour commencing she gave an interview (during her visit to Dixie), conducted by the journalist George Tyler that was published on 16 March 1935 in ''The Afro-American'' newspaper. In the interview Hall gives a rare insight into her life and her home in the Village of Larchmont, disclosing how dramatically her circumstances had changed since her humble upbringing in Harlem. Tyler adds that the singing star owns and drives her car, roller skates, swims, plays tennis and enjoys horseback riding.

"When I retire from public life I shall resume my career as a modiste," confided Miss Hall. "As a kid I longed for a stage career, and my first step towards this was to run away from school to try my luck behind the footlights. I was apprehended and sent back to school to continue my training as a modiste. Today, I am proud that I am more than an actress".

Tyler continues by asking about her forthcoming American and Canadian concert tour, which will take her deep into the South: "What do you think of such a tour, under the conditions that exist in the South?" Hall replied:

My experience of a couple of years ago while on a coast-to-coast tour should serve me well. Being a member of the oppressed race, I think I will be able to accustom myself to conditions, as they exist. However, there are many details I would rather not go into.

In the summer of 1935, Miss Hall had a regular slot on the New York radio station WNCA performing every Monday and Wednesday evening at 9 PM (New York time).

European career, 1935–1938

Hall arrived in Paris, France in the fall of 1935 and remained living there until 1938. Her husband Bert opened a nightclub for her in Paris, situated at 73 rue Pigalle in Montmartre, called ''La Grosse Pomme'' where she frequently entertained. "It (the club) held about two hundred people. I made this dramatic entrance coming down a spiral staircase from the attic. Nobody knew that all the boxes of wine and tinned food were stored up there with me. I came down the stairs in the most gorgeous costumes you'll ever see, floating in feathers and plumes," recalled Hall during an interview. The Quintette du Hot Club de France were one of the house bands Hall's husband Bert hired at the club. At the beginning of 1936, Hall starred in the ''Black and White Revue''. The show of 50 performers opened in Paris, France and in February the production travelled to Switzerland for a tour. The revue was produced by Ralph Clayton, staged by Arthur Bradley and choreographed by ballet master Albert Gaubier who had danced under the direction of Serge Diaghilev in the Russian company ''

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...

''. The orchestra that travelled with the production was under the direction of Henry Crowder. During the August

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German language, German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German language, German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympi ...

held in Berlin, Germany, Hall appeared at Berlin's Rex Theatre singing jazz. Her performance is notable for her contravening

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

's ban on jazz music being played. In 1937, Hall choreographed her own take on the famous French dance the Can-can; she called it the Canned Apple and would perform it at her Montmartre nightclub ''La Grosse Pomme''. Hall is also credited with introducing the Truckin' dance craze to the Parisians. During her residence in Europe, Hall sang with several orchestras, including those of

Willie Lewis William T. Lewis ''(né'' Willie Meria Tawlton Lewis; 10 June 1905 – 13 January 1971) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Career Lewis was born Cleburne, Texas, United States. He grew up in Dallas and played in variety shows as ...

and

Ray Ventura Raymond Ventura (16 April 1908, Paris, France – 29 March 1979, Palma de Mallorca, Spain) was a French jazz pianist and bandleader. He helped popularize jazz in France in the 1930s. His nephew was singer Sacha Distel. Career Ventura was born to ...

; in 1937 (while on a trip to Copenhagen), she recorded four songs with

Kai Ewans Kai Peter Anthon Ewans (né Nielsen; April 10, 1906 – April 4, 1988) was a Danish-American jazz reedist. Ewans was born in Hørsholm, Denmark. He played initially as a banjoist, but switched to saxophone in 1923 when he formed the Blues Jazz Ban ...

and his Orchestra for the Tono record label. On 13 May 1938,

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

broadcast ''Over to Paris'', an hour-long programme direct from a Paris studio that highlighted a variety of famous Parisian artists of radio, cabaret and the music hall. The show included performances from Hall and Mistinguett, who were accompanied by two orchestras.

Move to London, 1938

British career, 1938–1993

After many years performing in the US and Europe, Hall went to the United Kingdom in 1938 to take a starring role in a stage-adapted musical version of

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...

's ''The Sun Never Sets'' at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto D ...

."Hall, Adelaide (1901–1993), Actor, Singer"
BFI ScreenOnline. She was so successful and became so popular with British audiences that she stayed and made her home there, becoming one of the most popular singers and entertainers of the time. Hall lived in London from 1938 until her death. On 28 August 1938, Hall recorded "

I Can't Give You Anything But Love "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" is an American popular song and jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). The song was introduced by Adelaide Hall at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in January 1928 in Lew Le ...

" and " That Old Feeling" at London's

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

, with

accompanying her on the organ. The recordings were released on

HMV Records His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...

. On 10 September 1938, she appeared in ''Broadcast To America'' with Waller at London's St George's Hall in a live transatlantic radio broadcast.Ken Dryden
"Fats Waller: Fats Waller on the Air 1938 Broadcasts (2009)"
including duets with Adelaide Hall. AllAboutJazz, 7 April 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2014. On 25 February 1939,

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

broadcast ''Harlem in Mayfair'' from Hall's London nightclub, the Old Florida Club. The cabaret show starred Hall; also on the bill were Esther and Louise, Eddie Lewis, and

with his Negro Choir and Orchestra. Leonard Feather
"Don't Call Them Crooners: 4 – Adelaide Hall" (interview)
''Radio Times'', 17 February 1939, p. 15. Includes a photograph of Hall and mentions performers with whom she had recorded and performed, including Rudy Vallee. On 20 May 1939, BBC TV broadcast the cabaret show ''Dark Sophistication'', starring Hall performing at the Old Florida Club. On 26 August 1939, Hall took part in the BBC TV production ''Kentucky Minstrels'', which was transmitted live from the 2500-seat RadiOlympia Theatre in London. Radiolympia Thursday 31 August 1939 Kentucky Minstrels show starring Adelaide Hall

Radiolympia Thursday 31 August 1939 Kentucky Minstrels show starring Adelaide Hall

On Friday, 1 September 1939, Hall was scheduled to appear at 9:00 pm in a live BBC TV broadcast titled ''Variety'' recorded direct from the RadiOlympia Theatre. Other performers on the bill included Nosmo King, The Gordon RadiOlympia Girls, Hubert Murray and Mooney, and Bobby Howell and his Band. However, with war looming, the BBC were instructed by the government to shut down broadcasting, and at 12:35 the service went off the air for seven years. It appears that the show ''Variety'' never took place at RadiOlympia; ''The Times'' newspaper for the following day (2 September) noted in their section 'News in Brief' that "RadiOlympia closed at 12:30 yesterday", presumably another result of the country being placed on a war footing. Unexpectedly, the show ''Variety'' became one of the first British theatrical casualties of World War II and part of the mystery surrounding "what really happened at the BBC on 1 September 1939?" That year, Hall became a featured vocalist with

Joe Loss Sir Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss (22 June 1909 – 6 June 1990) was a British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra. Life Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Isra ...

& His Band and from 1939 to 1941, Hall headlined the popular BBC Radio variety show ''Piccadixie''. She also toured the UK extensively during these years, headlining the ''Piccadixie British Tour'', supported by comedian

Oliver Wakefield Oliver Wakefield (29 May 1909 – 30 June 1956) was a popular British actor and comedian, born in South Africa, who was active from the 1930s until his death in 1956. Often billed as "The Voice of Inexperience", Wakefield is best known for h ...

and pianist

George Elrick George Elrick (29 December 1903 – 15 December 1999), 'The Smiling Voice of Radio', was a British musician, impresario and radio presenter, probably best known for presenting the popular record request show ''Housewives' Choice'' during the 195 ...

. During the war, Hall entertained the troops in Europe for the USO ( United Service Organizations Inc.) and the British equivalent ENSA ( Entertainments National Service Association) in which she served as a captain. Her uniform was made by Madam Adele of Grosvenor Street in Mayfair, London. The First World Radio Broadcast, 17 October 1939. On 17 October 1939 Adelaide Hall starred in one of the most sensational live radio broadcasts ever attempted by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

to hit the airwaves. It took place at the

RAF Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Grea ...

base in North London, in front of a specially invited audience of RAF personnel, and was the first large-scale variety concert organised by

ENSA The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, ...

. The whole show was relayed worldwide across the airwaves, the first time a live show had ever been broadcast by the BBC around the globe. On the bill was Hall, her accompanist

Mantovani Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (; 15 November 1905 – 29 March 1980) was an Anglo-Italian conductor, composer and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' st ...

and His Orchestra, The Western Brothers, and

Harry Roy Harry Roy (12 January 1900 – 1 February 1971) was a British dance band leader and clarinet player from the 1920s to the 1960s. He performed several songs with suggestive lyrics, including " My Girl's Pussy" (1931), and "She Had to Go and Lose ...

and his Band. Hall later recalled in vivid detail the challenges she faced during WWII while entertaining the troops across Europe and in the UK, some of whom were wounded: "Sometimes I had to sing without music, but it was a challenge, and so rewarding to get all the people to sing with me." At one London performance Hall gave at Lewisham Hippodrome theatre during the week of 20 August 1940, the Luftwaffe attacked overhead, dropping bombs and, "even though we could hear bombs exploding outside the theatre, we carried on ... I had sung 54 songs until the all-clear sounded at 3:45 a.m. in the morning!"Stephen Bourne
"When Adelaide Hall Went to War"
3 April 2005. WW2 People's War, BBC Archive. Hall's 54 encores are believed to be a world record for the amount of encores sung by one artist on stage. Hall also claimed to be one of the first entertainers to enter Germany before the war had officially ended. She travelled with the troops as they advanced towards Berlin, dismissing the dangers such bravery entailed. Hall's career was almost an uninterrupted success. She made more than 70 records for

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

, had her own BBC Radio series, ''Wrapped in Velvet'' (making her the first black artist to have a long-term contract with the BBC), and appeared on the stage, in films, and in nightclubs (of which she owned her own in New York, London and Paris). In the 1940s, and especially during World War II, she was hugely popular with civilian and Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) audiences and became one of Britain's highest paid entertainers. Her London nightclub The Old Florida Club owned by Hall and her husband was destroyed by a landmine during an air raid in 1939. Her husband Bert was in the club's cellar when the landmine exploded but he survived the attack. Hall has a cameo appearance as a singer in the 1940

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning movie '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (directed by Michael Powell (and others) and produced by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Miklós Rózsa Miklós Rózsa (; April 18, 1907 – July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer trained in Germany (1925–1931) and active in France (1931–1935), the United Kingdom (1935–1940), and the United States (1940–1995), with extensi ...

. In 1943, Hall featured in an ENSA radio show broadcast by the BBC entitled ''Spotlight on the Stars'' during which she was accompanied by the BBC Variety Orchestra. During the show she mentions how she had just returned home from a tour. On 20 May 1940, Hall's recording of 'Careless' debuted in the British charts at number 30, where it remained for two consecutive weeks. In the August 1940 issue of British ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' magazine, a photograph of Hall appears on the 'Spotlight' page compiled by the features editor

Lesley Blanch Lesley Blanch, MBE, FRSL (6 June 1904, London – 7 May 2007, Garavan near Menton, France) was a British writer, historian and traveller. She is best known for '' The Wilder Shores of Love'', about Isabel Burton (who married the Arabist and exp ...

under the caption: "Adelaide Hall and her husband run the Florida. His show, her songs, our fun." On 6 June 1945, Hall's recording of "There Goes That Song Again" entered the BBC British charts at number 15. Hall appears in the earliest post-war BBC

telerecording Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

: a live recording of her performance at RadiOlympia Theatre on 7 October 1947. The footage was filmed on the "Cafe Continental" stage set at the theatre for a

show titled '' Variety in Sepia''. Hall sings "

Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep) "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)" is a popular song written by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman, and published in 1947. Background The lyrics are intended to sound like Italian non-sense, cooed to a baby as a lullaby. P ...

" and "

" and accompanies herself on ukulele and dancing. When the show was broadcast on BBC TV it was 60 minutes in length and included performances from Winifred Atwell,

Evelyn Dove Evelyn Mary Dove (11 January 1902 – 7 March 1987) was a British singer and actress, who early in her career drew comparisons with Josephine Baker. Of Sierra Leone Creole and English parentage, Dove is recognized as a "trailblazing performer": ...

Cyril Blake Cyril "Midnight" Blake (22 October 1900 – 3 December 1951) was a Trinidadian jazz trumpeter. Biography Blake moved to England about 1918, where he played in a British group called the Southern Syncopated Orchestra. He worked in Paris and Lo ...

and his Calypso Band, Edric Connor and

Mable Lee Mable Lee (August 2, 1921 – February 7, 2019), sometimes spelled Mabel Lee, was an American jazz tap dancer, singer, and entertainer. Lee appeared on Broadway, at the Apollo Theater, and was known as "Queen of the Soundies" due to her numerous ...

and was produced by Eric Fawcett. The six-minute footage of Hall is all that survives of the show. In 1948, Hall appeared in a British movie called ''A World is Turning''. The movie was intended to highlight the contribution of black men and women to British society at a time when they were struggling for visibility on the screens. Filming appears to have been halted due to the director's illness and only six reels of rushes remain, including scenes of Hall rehearsing songs such as " Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "

The Gospel Train "The Gospel Train (Get on Board)" is a traditional African-American spiritual first published in 1872 as one of the songs of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. A standard Gospel song, it is found in the hymnals of many Protestant denominations and has b ...

" (a traditional African-American spiritual first published in 1872 as one of the songs of the Fisk Jubilee Singers). In 1949, Hall appeared on the BBC TV shows ''Rooftop Rendezvous'' and ''Caribbean Carnival''. That year, Hall recorded five spirituals accompanied by the pianist Kenneth Cantril. The five songs chosen and released by London Records (the US outlet for British Decca) were "

Swing Low Sweet Chariot "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is an African-American spiritual song and one of the best-known Christian hymns. Originating in early oral and musical African-American traditions, the date it was composed is unknown. Performances by the Hampton Singe ...

", "Bye and Bye", " Nobody Know De Trouble I've Seen", "

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", also "Motherless Child", is a traditional Spiritual. It dates back to the era of slavery in the United States. An early performance of the song was in the 1870s by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. "Blue Gen ...

", and " Deep River". In 1951, Hall appeared as a guest in the music spot on the first ever British comedy series ''How Do You View'', starring

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of th ...

and written by Sid Colin and Talbot Rothwell. On 29 October 1951, Hall appeared on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance at the

Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station. The structure is categorised as a Grade II* listed building. History Origins The theatre began life as a small conc ...

in the presence of Princess Elizabeth and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

. Alongside Trinidad-born US dancer

Pearl Primus Pearl Eileen Primus (November 29, 1919 – October 29, 1994) was an American dancer, choreographer and anthropologist. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. Early in her career she saw the nee ...

and the female members of her company, who also performed that year, Hall was the first black female artiste to ever take part in the Royal Variety Performance. Hall also entertained at private parties for the

Duchess of Kent Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom o ...

, the Churchills, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. She was one of the many performers at an all-star midnight Anglo-American gala at the London Coliseum on the night of Monday, 11 December 1951, before the then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Also on the bill was Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, and Noël Coward. In the early 1950s, Hall and her husband Bert opened the Calypso Club in Regent Street, London, and Royalty flocked there. It was reported in the press that Princess Elizabeth was a frequent visitor and that Hall had taught the princess the Charleston. Hall appeared in the 1951 London run of ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'' playing the role of Hattie, singing

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

's "

Another Op'nin', Another Show "Another Op'nin', Another Show" is the opening number of Cole Porter's 1948 musical ''Kiss Me, Kate''. Sung by a band of players performing a musical adaption of Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'', the song has become regarded as a show busi ...

", and in the 1952 London musical ''

Love From Judy ''Love from Judy'' is a musical with music by Hugh Martin, lyrics by Martin and Jack Gray, and a book by Eric Maschwitz and Jean Webster. It is based on Webster's novel and play '' Daddy-Long-Legs''. The original production opened in Coventry ...

''Caricature of Adelaide Hall in her role as Butterfly in ''Love From Judy''
drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad held in the V&A Collection Archive. at the Saville Theatre playing the role of Butterfly, singing "A Touch of Voodoo", "Kind to Animals" and "Ain't Gonna Marry". The entire production of ''

'' was filmed with the original cast and aired on

on 16 March 1953. In 1956, she returned to London's West End in the play ''Someone to Talk To''.Glenn Collins
"Adelaide Hall, 92, International Star of Cabaret"
(obituary, listing some of her stage performances), ''The New York Times'', 10 November 1993. In 1957, at the request of Lena Horne, Hall returned to America to appear with Horne in the musical '' Jamaica''. The world premiere of ''Jamaica'' took place in Philadelphia in September 1957 and transferred to Broadway on 31 October. In 1958, Hall was cast as one of the lead characters in

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

's new musical ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, '' The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and was then performed in the ...

''. On 1 April 1960, Hall appeared on the BBC TV music show ''The Music Goes Round'' hosted by John Watt. The show was an NBA TV version of the radio show ''Songs from the Shows''. On 3 March 1965, Hall appeared on BBC2 television in ''Muses with Milligan'' with Spike Milligan and John Betjeman in a show devoted to poetry and jazz. In 1968, Hall appeared in ''Janie Jones'', a new American play written by Robert P. Hillier and directed by

Peter Cotes Peter Cotes (19 March 1912 – 10 November 1998) was an English director, producer, actor, writer and production manager. Cotes was born as Sydney Boulting in Maidenhead, Berkshire. His brothers John and Roy Boulting became noted film makers. He ...

. The cast included American actress

Marlene Warfield Marlene Warfield (born in Queens, New York) is an American actress. Warfield has acted in films and American television. She portrayed the underground revolutionary Laureen Hobbs in the 1976 film ''Network'' and played Victoria Butterfield on th ...

. The play had its world premiere on 8 July at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

, where it ran for one week prior to its London West End opening on 15 July at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre). Between 1969 and 1970, Hall made two jazz recordings with Humphrey Lyttelton. This was followed by theatre tours and concert appearances; she sang at Duke Ellington's memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1974. On 4 January 1974, she appeared on the British TV shows ''Looks Familiar'' (as a panelist) and on ''What Is Jazz'', with Humphrey Lyttelton. On 15 June 1976, she appeared on British TV in ''It Don't Mean a Thing''. and in 1981 appeared on the Michael Parkinson BBC TV show ''Parkinson'' as a guest. In July 1982, Hall appeared at a Gala concert held at St Paul's Cathedral in London to celebrate the sacred music of Duke Ellington. A live recording of the concert titled ''The Sacred Music of Duke Ellington'' was filmed for a

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...

TV documentary. Artists also taking part included Tony Bennett, Phyllis Hyman, Jacques Loussier, Alan Downey,

Wayne Sleep Wayne Philip Colin Sleep (born 17 July 1948) is a British dancer, director, choreographer, and actor who appeared on the BBC series '' The Real Marigold on Tour'' and ITV's '' The Real Full Monty''. Early life Sleep was born in Plymouth, De ...

, Ronnie Scott, Stan Tracey and the New Swingle Singers. The concert was hosted by

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

and narrated by

Douglas Fairbanks Jr Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939) ...

. In April 1980, Hall returned to the U.S. and from 1 to 24 May, she appeared in the cast of ''Black Broadway'' (a retrospective musical revue) at the Town Hall in New York. Among other artists appearing in the show were

Elisabeth Welch Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904July 15, 2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades. Her best-known songs were " Stormy Weather", " Love for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was ...

, Gregory Hines,

Bobby Short Robert Waltrip Short (September 15, 1924 – March 21, 2005) was an American cabaret singer and pianist, who interpreted songs by popular composers from the first half of the 20th century such as Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Harold ...

Honi Coles Charles “Honi” Coles (April 2, 1911 – November 12, 1992) was an American actor and tap dancer, who was inducted posthumously into the American Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2003. He had a distinctive personal style that required technical prec ...

, Edith Wilson,

Nell Carter Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy; September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She was best known for her role as Ne ...

and John W. Bubbles of

Buck and Bubbles John William Sublett (February 19, 1902 – May 18, 1986), known by his stage name John W. Bubbles, was an American tap dancer, vaudevillian, movie actor, and television performer. He performed in the duo "Buck and Bubbles", who were the fi ...

fame. The show originally was staged at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

on 24 June 1979, before it was re-assembled in 1980 and staged at the Town Hall. Following ''Black Broadway'', in June 1980, Hall took up temporary residence at Michael's Pub in New York and commenced a three-week engagement, performing three shows a night. In June 1980, she performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Other artists on the bill included Dizzy Gillespie,

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helpe ...

, Stéphane Grappelli, Mel Tormé, Zoot Sims,

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

and

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and " ...

. On 2 July 1980, writer

Rosetta Reitz Rosetta Reitz (September 28, 1924 – November 1, 2008) was an American feminist and jazz historian who searched for and established a record label producing 18 albums of the music of the early women of jazz and the blues.Martin, Douglas"Rosetta ...

organised a tribute to the ''Women of Jazz'' at

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designe ...

as part of the

. Called ''The Blues is a Woman'', the program, narrated by

, featured music by Hall,

Big Mama Thornton Willie Mae Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984), better known as Big Mama Thornton, was an American singer and songwriter of the blues and R&B genres. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's " Hound Dog", in 1952, which becam ...

and

Koko Taylor Koko Taylor (born Cora Anna Walton, September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009) was an American singer whose style encompassed Chicago blues, electric blues, rhythm and blues and soul blues. Sometimes called "The Queen of the Blues", she was known fo ...

. Hall appeared at the Duke Ellington Tribute Concert at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in 1982, where she sang Ellington'
'Come Sunday'
Back in the States, in February 1983, Hall appeared on the bill of the 100th birthday celebration for composer

held at the Shubert Theater, New York. Unfortunately, Blake was recovering from pneumonia at the time so could not attend the event but with the aid of a special telephone hook-up to his home in Brooklyn he was able to listen to the entire two-hour show. On 5 April 1983, Hall commenced a month-long engagement at The Cookery in New York. Her accompanists were Ronnie Whyte and Frank Tate. In 1985, Hall appeared on British TV in the cast of ''Omnibus: The Cotton Club comes to the Ritz'', a 60-minute BBC documentary in which some of the performers from Harlem's Cotton Club were filmed performing at the Ritz Hotel in London, along with contemporary musicians. Also on the bill were

and his Orchestra,

Doc Cheatham Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, better known as Doc Cheatham (June 13, 1905 – June 2, 1997), was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He is also the Grandfather of musician Theo Croker. Early life Doc Cheatham was born in Nashv ...

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...

and the

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard Nicholas, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold Nicholas, Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s ...

. In 1985, Hall appeared on British TV on '' The South Bank Show'' in a documentary entitled ''The Real Cotton Club''. In July 1986, Hall performed in concert at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

, London. In October 1988, Hall presented a one-woman show at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built b ...

in New York. She presented the same show in London at the

King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. It is the second oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2021, Mark Ravenhill became Artistic Director and the theatre focusses on producing LGBT ...

(Islington) during December 1988. She is one of the very few performers to have made two guest appearances (2 December 1972 and 13 January 1991) on the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

programme '' Desert Island Discs.'' In 1989, she appeared at London's Royal Festival Hall at the ''Royal Ellington Tribute Concert'' that included the world premiere of Ellington's ''Queen's Suite'', which was written for Queen Elizabeth II. Other artists appearing included the Bob Wilber Band, Tony Coe and

Alan Cohen Alan Phillip Cohen (born October 5, 1954) is an American businessman, best known for his ownership of the Florida Panthers hockey team and his founding of several generic pharmaceutical companies, most notably the Davie, Florida-based Andrx Cor ...

. The concert was filmed by Independent Film Production Associates. 1989 also saw Hall appear in concert at the Studio Theatre, Haymarket in Leicester. The concert was organised by composer/musician Gavin Bryars and sold out almost as soon as it was announced. In 1990, Hall starred in ''Sophisticated Lady'', a Channel 4 television documentary about her life broadcast on 24 July, which included a performance of her in concert recorded live at the

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having closed for redevelopment ...

in London. Her final US concert appearances took place in 1992 at Carnegie Hall, in the ''Cabaret Comes to Carnegie'' series. The same year, she was presented with a Gold Badge Award from the

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...

. After attending the award ceremony she said: "I was so proud to be acknowledged. They said, 'You look like a Queen. You don't look more than fifty or sixty. You look so well.' I wore a sequin suit – different colours – it glittered. I must have been the oldest one there! I ate everything that came along." Adelaide Hall's Grave at Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York, Terrace Hill Section, Grave 1252, March 2018

Adelaide Hall's Grave at Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York, Terrace Hill Section, Grave 1252, March 2018

Death

Adelaide Hall died in the early hours of 7 November 1993, aged 92, at London's

Charing Cross Hospital Charing Cross Hospital is an acute general teaching hospital located in Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom. The present hospital was opened in 1973, although it was originally established in 1818, approximately five miles east, in central Lon ...

of natural causes (old age). Honouring her wish, her funeral took place in New York at the

Cathedral of the Incarnation (Garden City, New York) The Cathedral of the Incarnation is an Episcopal cathedral in Garden City, New York. It is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. Built to the memory of Alexander Turney Stewart, the Cathedral of the Incarnation is the only cathedral ...

and she was laid to rest beside her mother at the

Cemetery of the Evergreens The Cemetery of the Evergreens, also called Evergreen Cemetery, is a non-denominational rural cemetery along the Cemetery Belt in Brooklyn and Queens, New York. It was incorporated in 1849, not long after the passage of New York's Rural Cemetery ...

in Brooklyn. In London, a memorial service was held for her at

St Paul's, Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit fo ...

(known as the "actors' church"), which was attended by many stars including

Elaine Paige Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first profession ...

Lon Satton Lon Satton (born Alonzo Louis Lee Staton; February 11, 1927 – October 30, 2020) was an American singer and actor based in the United Kingdom. He is widely-known for originating the role of Poppa in the Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical ''Starlight ...

and Elaine Delmar. One of the participants, TV presenter and broadcaster Michael Parkinson, remarked during his eulogy: "Adelaide lived to be ninety-two and never grew old."

Legacy

In 2018, Hall was named by the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after b ...

'' on a list of 14 "Inspirational black British women throughout history", alongside Mary Seacole,

Claudia Jones Claudia Vera Jones (; 21 February 1915 – 24 December 1964) was a Trinidad and Tobago-born journalist and activist. As a child, she migrated with her family to the US, where she became a Communist political activist, feminist and black nationa ...

, Margaret Busby,

Olive Morris Olive Elaine Morris (26 June 1952 – 12 July 1979) was a Jamaican-born British-based community leader and activist in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns of the 1970s. At the age of 17, she claimed she was assaul ...

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

Tessa Sanderson Theresa Ione Sanderson (born 14 March 1956) is a British former javelin thrower. She appeared in every Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 1984 Olympics. She was the second track and field ...

Doreen Lawrence Doreen Delceita Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE (''née'' Graham; born 1952) is a British Jamaican campaigner and the mother of Stephen Lawrence, a black British teenager who was murdered in a racist attack in South East London in ...

Maggie Aderin-Pocock Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock (; born 9 March 1968) is a British space scientist and science educator. She is an honorary research associate of University College London's Department of Physics and Astronomy. Since February 2014, she has co- ...

, Sharon White,

Malorie Blackman Malorie Blackman is a British writer who held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She primarily writes literature and television drama for children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social and ethica ...

Diane Abbott Diane Julie Abbott (born 27 September 1953) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987. A member of the Labour Party, she served in the Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn as S ...

, Zadie Smith and

Connie Mark Constance Winifred Mark, MBE, BEM (née McDonald, previously Goodridge; 21 December 1923 – 3 June 2007) was a Jamaican-born community organiser and activist. She served as a medical secretary in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in World War ...

. Chapter 20 (titled "La Grosse Pomme") in the 2017 spy novel ''I Spy the Wolf'' by Stephen Davis is set inside Adelaide Hall's La Grosse Pomme nightclub in

Pigalle Pigalle may refer to: Places ;Paris, France *Quartier Pigalle, an area in Paris around the Place Pigalle, on the border between the 9th and the 18th arrondissements *Place Pigalle, public square in the Quartier Pigalle at the foot of the Montmartre ...

, Paris, during March 1939. Hall was one of the major entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance. Along with

, she pioneered scat singing and is widely acknowledged as one of the world's first jazz singers, regarded as such by Ella Fitzgerald. Hall was the first female vocalist to sing and record with Duke Ellington. She holds the accolade of being the 20th century's most enduring female recording artist, her recording career having spanned eight decades. In 1941, Hall replaced

Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the hi ...

as Britain's highest paid female entertainer. In the "100 Great Records of the 1920s" Hall is at number 26 with Duke Ellington's Orchestra, singing "The Blues I Love to Sing" (Duke Ellington/Bubber Miley), Victor 21490, 1927. Influential writer Langston Hughes, in his book ''Famous Negro Music Makers'' (published by Dodd, Mead, 1955) lists individual musicians that helped develop jazz, in which he states that "jazz singers too, had not been without influence on the development of this (Jazz) music", and then includes Hall alongside

, Ray Nance and Joe Carroll, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald,

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

, Baby Cox and

, as all being outstanding jazz vocalists of their time. Hall is mentioned in the novel '' Strange Brother'' (set in New York in the late 1920s, early 1930s) written by Blair Niles and first published in 1931. Published in 1998, Marsha Hunt's novel ''Like Venus Fading'' was inspired by the lives of Hall (known as the ''lightly-tanned Venus''), Josephine Baker and Dorothy Dandridge. The mesmerising effect Hall had on her audience at the

is captured in the fictionalised 2017 novel ''A Time in Ybor City'' by Ron Kase. Kase's account captures Hall's 11:00 o'clock evening performance in the Cotton Club Parade revue, at which

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

is in the audience. The account is a fictionalised account based on part fact. "When Harry Met Addie" was composed by Gavin Bryars in 1999 (published by Schott Music Ltd., London). Bryars wrote it as a tribute to Hall and saxophonist

Harry Carney Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments but primarily used the baritone saxophone ...

. The piece was first performed at the Duke Ellington Memorial Concert at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The Q ...

, London on 1 May 1999, and was commissioned by the baritone saxophonist/bass clarinettist

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for dance performanc ...

. The soprano was

Cristina Zavalloni Cristina Zavalloni (born 1973 in Bologna, Italy) is a contemporary Italian singer and composer who focuses primarily on jazz and experimental (or avant-garde) music. Biography and career Born in Bologna, Zavalloni attended the Conservatorio di ...

and the London Sinfonietta Big Band was conducted by Diego Masson. Hall was loosely portrayed as the nightclub chanteuse in Francis Ford Coppola's 1984 film '' The Cotton Club''. It was Hall's husband, Bert Hicks, who suggested to Eric Bartholomew's mother that he should change his stage name to Morecambe, after the place of her son's birth, thereby christening the British comic duo

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, workin ...

''Underneath a Harlem Moon'', 2013–2014

During 2013, British singer

Laura Mvula Laura Mvula ( Douglas; born 23 April 1986) is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula has gained experience as a young member or leader of a cappella, jazz/neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. ...

revealed in a ''Blues and Soul'' interview with assistant editor Pete Lewis that her song "Sing to the Moon" (from her hit debut album ''

Sing to the Moon ''Sing to the Moon'' is the debut studio album by English singer Laura Mvula. It was released on 1 March 2013 by RCA Victor. The album includes the singles "She" and " Green Garden". The album debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. It ...

'', RCA/Sony Music) was inspired by the 2003 biography of Hall entitled ''Underneath a Harlem Moon: The Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall'', by Iain Cameron Williams:

Well, the actual song "Sing to the Moon" came from a time when I was reading a book called ''Underneath a Harlem Moon'', which is a biography of a jazz singer called Adelaide Hall, which is basically all about how she kind of was overlooked, or probably didn't get the recognition she perhaps deserved. Plus it also talks about how she'd had a hard time growing up, because her sister – who she was very close to – had died tragically of an illness.... So anyway, there's a point in the story where she describes her close relationship with her father, which I think kind of resonated with me – where she talks about the conversations she had with him and how he used to say to her randomly 'Sing to the moon and the stars will shine', which kind of became her thing really that she just took with her everywhere.... And I don't know why, but for some reason it just struck some kind of chord with me – you know, it was just something I seemed to connect with at that time. And so because of that, it then became a saying that I liked to use myself.... So yeah, because it's become something I personally like to express, I just thought 'Sing to the Moon' would also make a good title for the album as a whole.

On 11 August 2014, Mvula released her second album, an orchestral version of ''Sing to the Moon'', and on 19 August 2014, Mvula appeared at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

as part of The Proms season, performing the entire album ''Sing to the Moon'', accompanied by the Metropole Orkest. In 2014, "

" was sampled by the American rapper

XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion ga ...

and incorporated in his song "Vice City", which launched his music career.

''After Midnight'', Broadway musical 2013–2014

A new musical revue '' After Midnight'' featuring the classic music of Duke Ellington, Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh, and Harold Arlen, premiered to much praise at the

Brooks Atkinson Theatre The Lena Horne Theatre (previously the Mansfield Theatre and the Brooks Atkinson Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 256 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1926, it was designed by Herber ...

in New York on 3 November 2013 and was booked through to 31 August 2014. The show is an idealised fantasy of Harlem in its 1920s–1930s heyday and salutes black musicians and performers such as

, Hall,

, Duke Ellington and the

, who became international stars during that era. At least three of the songs that Hall introduced are performed in the show, including headliner Fantasia Barrino's rendition of "

" and Carmen Ruby Floyd's performance of Ellington and Hall's "Creole Love Call". The song "Diga Diga Do" also appears in the show.

''A Nite at the Cotton Club'', 2014

In February 2014, a new stage show called ''A Nite at the Cotton Club'', produced by Lydia Dillingham, opened at the Southern Broadway Dinner Theatre at The Historic Hildreth Brothers Building in Alabama, USA, in which the actress Brandy Davis portrays Hall. The entire run sold out.

''ASCAP 100 Years'', 2014

On 14 February 2014, the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

(ASCAP) celebrated its centenary by publishing a timeline of songs chosen to represent the past hundred years. One song was chosen to represent each year. Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh's song "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby", written for the Broadway revue ''

'', was chosen for 1928, and Hall's recording of the song was chosen to represent the year.

''Downton Addy's'', 2020

As part of Black History Month in June 2020, ''

Sherman's Showcase ''Sherman's Showcase'' is an American comedy television series created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle. The series premiered on July 31, 2019, on IFC. An hour long "Black History Month Spectacular" aired on June 19, 2020, and that same ...

'' – an American musical TV comedy series created by actors

Bashir Salahuddin Bashir Salahuddin (born July 6, 1976) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Early life and education Salahuddin was born and raised in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. His father is originally from Panama and had moved to Chicago wit ...

and Diallo Riddle – portrayed Adelaide Hall in a Harlem Renaissance meets ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on ...

'' musical sketch titled ''Downton Addy's''. The show was aired on 19 June on stations AMC and IFC.

played the part of Paul Robeson, Day'Nah Cooper took the role of Dowager Countess of Basie, Aleksei Archer portrayed Adelaide "Addy" Hall, and Nefetari Spencer brought Zora Neale Hurston to life. Costume designer Ariyela Wald-Cohain looked directly to the ''Downton Abbey'' movie for visual references. Critics praised it: '' Rolling Stone'' called it "the hidden gem of sketch comedy"; ''The New York Times'' said it was "irreverent", and '' Salon'' said it was "bright, accessibly silly and uproarious". ''

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators. Colliders are used as a research tool in particle ...

'' called it "a hard show to explain but a very easy one to fall in love with". In June 2020, ''

British Vogue British ''Vogue'' is a British fashion magazine published based in London since autumn 1916. It is the British edition of the American magazine '' Vogue'' and is owned and distributed by Condé Montrose Nast. British ''Vogue'' editor in 2012 ...

'' acknowledged Adelaide Hall in their list of "7 Remarkable Black Women Who Shaped British History".

Black Plaque awarded to Adelaide Hall, 2021

Adelaide Hall was honoured in 2021 by the Black Plaque Project, an initiative of the

Nubian Jak Community Trust Nubian Jak Community Trust (NJCT) is a commemorative plaque and sculpture scheme founded by Jak Beula that highlights the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain. The first NJCT heritage plaque, honouring Bob Marley, ...

, with a plaque commemorating her outstanding career and achievements in the world of entertainment. The plaque is placed in the world-renowned Abbey Road Recording Studios in St John's Wood, London where Hall recorded with fellow American jazz artiste and composer

. Hall is No. 15 in the Black Plaque Project that honours the achievements throughout history of members of the UK's black community.

One Minute Theatre Top 10 People of Colour in Musicals=, 2021

In March 2021, ''1 Minute Theatre Reviews'' acknowledged Adelaide Hall in their 10 "people of colour who have made a major contribution to the stage musical".

Women Inspire Podcast, 2021

Adelaide Hall - "Sing to the moon Addie and the stars will shine." In January 2021, the ''Women Inspire'' podcast devoted an episode to the life and career of Hall, titled "Sing to the moon Addie and the stars will shine".

Discography

1927–1938

The Decca years, 1939–1945

, - !Songs !Label & Number !Release Date , - , "I Have Eyes" / "I Promise You" , Decca F-7049 , (27 April 1939) , - , " Deep Purple" / "

Solitude Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without distur ...

" , Decca F-7083 , (15 May 1939) , - , "A New Moon and an Old Serenade" / "Our Love" , Decca F-7095 , (6 June 1939) , - , "

Don't Worry 'Bout Me "Don't Worry 'bout Me" is a 1938 song composed by Rube Bloom, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was introduced in the "World's Fair" edition of the Cotton Club show in 1939. The first hit recording was in 1939 by Hal Kemp and His Orchestra ...

" / " 'Tain't What You Do" , Decca F-7121 , (23 June 1939) , - , "Transatlantic Lullaby" / "

I Get Along Without You Very Well "I Get Along Without You Very Well" is a popular song composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1939, with lyrics based on a poem written by Jane Brown Thompson, and the main melodic theme on the Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op 66, by Frédéric Cho ...

" , Decca F-7132 , (26 July 1939) , - , "Moon Love" / "Yours for a Song" , Decca F-7272 , (17 October 1939) , - , "Day In, Day Out"/ "I Poured My Heart into a Song" , Decca F-7304 , (8 November 1939) , - , " My Heart Belongs to Daddy" / "

Have You Met Miss Jones? "Have You Met Miss Jones?" is a popular song that was written for the musical comedy ''I'd Rather Be Right''. The music was written by Richard Rodgers and the lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The song was published in 1937. Background In the musical the so ...

" , Decca F-7305 , (8 November 1939) , - , "Serenade in Love" / "Fare Thee Well" , Decca F-7340 , (27 December 1939) , - , "

Where or When "Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical ''Babes in Arms''. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. The song also appeared in the film version o ...

" / " The Lady Is a Tramp" , Decca F-7345 , (19 January 1940) , - , "Careless" / "Don't Make Me Laugh" , Decca F-7340 , (11 March 1940) , - , "Chloe" / "

Begin the Beguine "Begin the Beguine" is a popular song written by Cole Porter. Porter composed the song between Kalabahi, Indonesia, and Fiji during a 1935 Pacific cruise aboard Cunard's ocean liner ''Franconia''. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Kn ...

" , Decca F-7460 , (15 April 1940) , - , " This Can't Be Love" / "No Souvenirs" , Decca F-7501 , (3 May 1940) , - , "Who Told You I Cared"? / "Shake Down the Stars" , Decca F-7522 , (31 May 1940) , - , "Mist on the River" / " Fools Rush In" , Decca F-7583 , (15 August 1940) , - , "

All The Things You Are "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was written for the musical ''Very Warm for May'' (1939)

" / "I Wanna Be Loved" , Decca F-7636 , (9 October 1940) , - , "Goodnight Again" / "Trade Winds" , Decca F-7678 , (12 December 1940) , - , "Our Love Affair" / "And So Do I" , Decca F-7681 , (12 December 1940) , - , "Moon for Sale" / "Yesterday's Dreams" , Decca F-7708 , (7 February 1941) , - , "Ain't It a Shame About Mame"? / "Room Five Hundred and Four" , Decca F-7709 , (7 February 1941) , - , "It's Always You" / "How Did He Look"? , Decca F-7879 , (23 May 1941) , - , "Yes, My Darling Daughter" / "The Things I Love" , Decca F-7891 , (23 May 1941) , - , "

I Hear a Rhapsody "I Hear a Rhapsody" is a 1941 pop song that became a jazz standard, composed by George Fragos, Jack Baker, and Dick Gasparre. Written in 1940, in 1941 it was a top 10 hit for three separate artists, Charlie Barnet, Jimmy Dorsey and Dinah Shore. � ...

" / "Mississippi Mama" , Decca F-7918 , (3 July 1941) , - , "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)" / "Moonlight in Mexico" , Decca F-7942 , (7 August 1941) , - , "As if You Didn't Know" / "I Take to You" , Decca F-8030 , (5 November 1941) , - , "Minnie from Trinidad" / "Sand in My Shoes" , Decca F-8031 , (5 November 1941) , - , "Song of the Islands" / "Pagan Love Song" , Decca F-8058 , (7 November 1941) , - , "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" / "My Sister and I" , Decca F-8043 , (18 November 1941) , - , "A Sinner Kissed an Angel" / "Why Don't We Do This More Often"? , Decca F-8092 , (2 February 1942) , - , "Tropical Magic" / "Intermezzo" , Decca F-8118 , (2 February 1942) , - , "My Devotion" / "Sharing It All With You" , Decca F-8263 , (January 1943) , - , "Let's Get Lost" / " As Time Goes By" , Decca F-8292 , (1943) , - , "I Don't Want Anybody at All (If I Can't Have You)" / "I Heard You Cried Last Night" , Decca F-8362 , (6 September 1943) , - , " Sophisticated Lady" / "

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" is a song recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. The words were written by Ned Washington and the music was written by George Bassman. It was first performed in 1932. The original copyright is dated 1933 a ...

" , Decca F-8467 , (4 August 1944) , - , "There Goes That Song Again" / "I'm Gonna Love That Guy" , Decca F-8517 , (3 March 1945) , -

Odeon (Argentina) 1943

, - !Songs !Label & Number !Release Date , - , "Segun Pasan Los Anos (As Time Goes By)" / "Vamos a Perdernos (Let's Get Lost)" , Odeon DR-7240/7239 , (1943) , -

London Records, ''Spirituals'', 1949

Adelaide Hall and Kenneth Cantril, ''Spirituals'', 78 rpm set , - !Songs !Label & Number !Release Date !Artist , - , - , " Nobody Know de Trouble I've Seen" / "

" , London , (1949) , Adelaide Hall and Kenneth Cantril , - , " Deep River" / "Bye and Bye" , London , (1949) , Adelaide Hall and Kenneth Cantril , - , "My Lord, What a Morning" / "

" , London , (1949) , Adelaide Hall and Kenneth Cantril , -

Columbia (EMI) – 1951

, - !Songs !Label & Number !Date !Artist , - , "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine" / "Bill" , Columbia Gramophone Co. (EMI Records) , (11 July 1951) (recorded in London, UK) , Adelaide Hall , - , "How Many Times" / "Vanity" , Columbia Gramophone Co. (EMI Records) , (11 July 1951) (recorded in London) , Adelaide Hall , -

Oriole – 1960

, - !Songs !Label & Number !Date !Artist , - , "Bluebird on My Shoulder" / "Common Sense" , Oriole (CB 1556) , (May 1960) (recorded in London) , Adelaide Hall , -

UK singles chart entries

Filmography

* ''

A Son of Satan ''A Son of Satan'' is a 1924 silent race film directed, written, produced and distributed by Oscar Micheaux. The film follows the misadventures of a man who accepted a bet to spend a night in a haunted house. Micheaux shot the film in The Bronx ...

'' (1924) (USA) (Micheaux Film) * ''

Dancers in the Dark ''Dancers in the Dark'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film about a taxi dancer (Miriam Hopkins), a big band leader (Jack Oakie), and a gangster (George Raft). George Raft, billed sixth, was listed much lower in the cast than the size of his role ...

'' (1932) (USA) (Hall's singing voice is used but she is uncredited) * ''On the Air and Off'' (1933) (USA short, filmed at

Biograph Studios Biograph Studios was an early film studio and laboratory complex, built in 1912 by the Biograph Company at 807 East 175th Street, in The Bronx, New York City, New York. History Early years The first studio of the Biograph Company, formerly ...

, Bronx, New York City) ( Universal Pictures) * ''Broadway Varieties'' (1934) (USA short, filmed at

, Bronx, New York City) ( Universal Pictures) * ''All-Coloured Vaudeville Show'' (1935) (USA) * ''The Kentucky Minstrels'' (1939 (British TV movie) * ''The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) (UK) * ''Behind The Blackout'' (1940), British Pathé Newsreel * ''Stars In Your Eyes'' (TV series, UK) 1946-1950. * '' Variety in Sepia'' (1947) (UK) (

) * ''A World Is Turning (towards the coloured people)'' (1948) (UK) * ''Olivelli's'' (1951), British Pathé Newsreel * ''

'' (1953) TV movie. * ''

Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in London and at Shepperton Studi ...

'' (1959) (UK) (role – singer – the scenes were deleted from the final edit) * ''Looks Familiar'' (9 January 1974) (ITV)Adelaide Hall Filmography (BFI)
Retrieved 26 September 2020. * ''What Is Jazz?'' (1974) (TV Documentary) * ''It Don't Mean A Thing'' (15 June 1976) * ''

Parkinson (TV series) ''Parkinson'' is a British television chat show that was presented by Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on BBC1 from 19 June 1971 to 10 April 1982 and from 9 January 1998 to 24 April 2004. Parkinson then switched to ITV on which the show ...

'': 300th edition (1981) (BBC TV) * ''The Sacred Music of Duke Ellington'' (1982) (MGM) – recorded at

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...

, London (released 1983)Adelaide Hall Filmography (BFI)
Retrieved 26 September 2020. * ''The Cotton Club Comes to the Ritz'' (1985) (A documentary with live performances at

the Ritz Hotel, London The Ritz London is a Grade II listed 5-star hotel in Piccadilly, London, England. A symbol of high society and luxury, the hotel is one of the world's most prestigious and best known. The Ritz has become so associated with luxury and elegance ...

, featuring former

performers) * ''Chasing a Rainbow: The Life of Josephine Baker'' (1986) * ''Brown Sugar'' (1986) (American TV mini-series) * ''Sophisticated Lady'' (1989) (UK) (documentary about Adelaide Hall) * ''Royal Ellington'' (1989) (live concert footage) * ''Adelaide Hall – Live at the Riverside'' (1989) (UK) (Adelaide Hall in concert)

Exhibitions

Exhibitions that feature or have featured content relating to Adelaide Hall: * ''Women and War'' –

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

, London (2003–04). * ''Little Black Dress'' – Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton (2007). * ''Devotional'' –

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

(2007) * ''Little Black Dress'' – London Fashion Museum, London (2008). * ''Keep Smiling Through: Black Londoners on the Home Front 1939–1945'' – The Cuming Museum, London (2008). * ''Jazzonia and the Harlem Diaspora'' – Chelsea Space, London (2009). * ''The Living Archive Exhibition'' – The London Palladium (opened 2009 – on permanent display). The collection throws a spotlight on 100 years of black performers at the Palladium, such as Adelaide Hall, the Harlem Renaissance star who made her London debut at the venue in 1931. * ''Oh! Adelaide'' – Art installation, Wimbledon Space, Wimbledon College of Art, London (2010). * ''There is no Archive in which Nothing Gets Lost'' – ''Oh! Adelaide'' – Art installation – The Museum of Fine Arts, Glassell School of Art, 5101 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, America – 7 September 2012 – 25 November 2012. * ''Creole Love Call'' – Exhibition – VIERTELNEUN Gallery, 1090 Vienna, Hahngasse 14, Austria – Exhibition (25 January to 28 February 2013) – Catalogue published with the presentation. * ''The Harlem Renaissance'' – Kurá Hulanda Museum, Curaçao, Willemstad, Caribbean (2013). * ''Scat: Sound and Collaboration'' – Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts), London EC2A 3BA (5 June – 27 July 2013). * ''Untitled'' – etching by

Sonia Boyce Sonia Dawn Boyce, (born 1962) is a British Afro-Caribbean artist and educator, living and working in London. She is a Professor of Black Art and Design at University of the Arts London. Boyce's research interests explore art as a social practic ...

. Permanent Collection,

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 ...

, NY. In her 2006 etching ''Untitled'', Boyce pays tribute to 14 black female contributors to British music history. Performers featured in the composition include Dame Shirley Bassey, Adelaide Hall,

Millie Small Millicent Dolly May Small CD (6 October 1947 – 5 May 2020) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who is best known for her 1964 hit "My Boy Lollipop". The song reached number two in both the UK and US charts and sold over seven million ...

and

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Black Cultural Archives Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is an archive and heritage centre in Brixton, London, devoted to the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain. Also known as BCA, it was founded in 1981, by educationalist and historian Len Ga ...

, 1

Windrush Square Windrush Square (often referred to by its original name, Brixton Oval) is an open public space in the centre of Brixton, South London, occupying an area in front of the Brixton Tate Library. After changing its name to Tate Gardens, it was again r ...

, Brixton, London SW2 1EF (24 July – 30 November 2014. * ''Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain'': Explores the emergence of Jazz in Britain and its continuing influence over the last century. Two pictures of Adelaide Hall, one by photographer

Angus McBean Angus Rowland McBean (8 June 1904 – 9 June 1990) was a Welsh photographer, set designer and cult figure associated with surrealism. Early life Angus Rowland McBean was born in Newbridge, Monmouthshire, Wales on 8 June 1904, elder child and o ...

, and another extremely rare photograph of Miss Hall taken at her Florida (

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

) nightclub were on display at the exhibition, from 27 January 2018 until 22 April 2018, located at

William Waldorf Astor William Waldorf "Willy" Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) was an American-British attorney, politician, businessman (hotels and newspapers), and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the very wealthy Astor family of ...

's mansion at

Two Temple Place Two Temple Place, known for many years as Astor House, is a building situated near Victoria Embankment in central London, England.Moore, Rowan (15 October 2011)"Two Temple Place; University of the Arts London – review Viscount Astor's stately ...

, London.

Adelaide Hall archives and photo collections

* The Indiana University Adelaide Hall Collection (1928–2003): The collection is housed at the

Archives of African American Music and Culture The Indiana University Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC), established in 1991, is a material repository covering a range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era. The collectio ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

, collection number SC 134: The collection contains photographic materials, articles, programs and ephemera related to Hall's performance career: contact: Archives of African American Music and Culture, 2805 E 10th St., Suite 180–181, Bloomington, Ind. 47408-4662. * Writer Iain Cameron Williams and Adelaide Hall's former manager Kate Greer own a private Adelaide Hall Collection, from which items have been loaned for public exhibitions. *

Alamy Alamy (registered as Alamy Limited) is a British privately owned stock photography agency launched in September 1999. Its headquarters are in Milton Park, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It has a development and operations centre at ...

Photo Archive: Adelaide Hall on set of the 1940

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)''The Thief of Bagdad''.
*

The British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the List of largest libraries, largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal de ...

in Euston Road, London, holds a considerable archive relating to Adelaide Hall; the collection contains mainly audio, interviews, live concert tapes, and recordings, some of which are quite rare. * ''The British Lion Film Production disc'' collection (held at the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

) contains music from the film soundtrack of ''

'' (1950), on which Adelaide Hall is featured. *

Detroit Public Library The Detroit Public Library is the second largest library system in the U.S. state of Michigan by volumes held (after the University of Michigan Library) and the 21st-largest library system (and the fourth-largest public library system) in the U ...

Digital Collection houses a portrait of singer Adelaide Hall by photographer

Germaine Krull Germaine Luise Krull (20 November 1897 – 31 July 1985) was a photographer, political activist, and hotel owner.Sichel, Kim. ''Germaine Krull: Photographer of Modernity''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1999. . Her nationality has been catego ...

dated 1929, photographed during ''Blackbirds'' residency at the Moulin Rouge, Paris. *

Duke University Libraries Duke University Libraries is the library system of Duke University, serving the university's students and faculty. The Libraries collectively hold some 6 million volumes. The collection contains 17.7 million manuscripts, 1.2 million public documen ...

–

Papers (1929–2008) – Adelaide Hall photograph collection series (Box 17): Rosetta Reitz Papers – Adelaide Hall Reference Materials Series (1946–2005) Box 36. * Getty Images (archive) holds several photographs of Adelaide Hall including one of her singing "There's Something in the Air" at her

nightclub (the Florida Club) in London, circa. 1945 and an extremely rare picture of Miss Hall performing in concert circa.1930, and a portrait photograph of Miss Hall by John D. Kisch circa. 1934. * The Al Hirschfeld Foundation holds two caricatures of Adelaide Hall by the artist

Al Hirschfeld Albert Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. Personal life Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903 in a two-story duplex at 1313 Car ...

, one dated 1928. and the other dated 1929. * The Robert Langmuir African American Photograph Collection,

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of h ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Adelaide Hall
* ''The David Lund Collection'' held at the British Library contains live audio recordings of Adelaide Hall in concert with The

Alan Clare Alan George Clare (born Alan George Jaycock; 31 May 1921 – 29 November 1993) was a British jazz pianist and composer. Family Singer Bloom Rose Houtman married Alan Clare in 1947. Alan and Bloom lived for most of their marriage in Holland Park ...

Trio and John McLeary performing at the

University College School ("Slowly but surely") , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent day school , religion = , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Mark Beard , r_head_label = , r_he ...

Theatre, Hampstead, London. *

Millersville University Millersville University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Millersville University, The Ville, or MU) is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is one of the fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher E ...

Special Collection: Adelaide Hall, File – Box: 4, Folder 21, 1929 photograph of Miss Hall by Walery (aka Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg). * Museo Alinari Image (AIM), museum, Trieste, Italy, hold two portrait photographs of Adelaide Hall ca. 1925–29. * The

National Jazz Archive The National Jazz Archive is a collection of materials pertaining to jazz and blues that is kept at the Loughton Library in Essex, England. The archive was founded by British trumpeter Digby Fairweather in 1998 and contains visual and print mater ...

(UK) holds a significant collection of magazines and newspapers containing articles and reports documenting Adelaide Hall's career dating from the 1930s to 1990s. *

(Archive) holds two Adelaide Hall portraits from the 1940s. * NYPR Archive Collections, New York Public Library, hold a live recording of Adelaide Hall captured in concert in New York in the early-1990s. * Smithsonian �
Adelaide Hall
portrait – ''Le Tumulte Noir'' / Dancer in Magenta by Paul Colin, 1929, Paris, at the Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery Collection,

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, N ...

* The Victoria and Albert Museum ( V&A), South Kensington, London, holds a watercolour caricature of Adelaide Hall by Gilbert Sommerlad, dated 12 May 1954, drawn during Hall's starring role in the musical ''Love from Judy'', plus various posters relating to Miss Hall's career, and a cotton souvenir headscarf containing a printed portrait of Adelaide Hall ca.1930s–50s.
Yale University Archives
Adelaide Hall – Josephine Baker correspondence, etc., (dated 1976-1979) part of the Henry Hurford Janes – Josephine Baker Collection at Yale University Archives, Box: 2, Folder: 77. * Yale University Library –

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. Es ...

: Rare Adelaide Hall photographs by Carl Van Vechten taken of Miss Hall performing on stage during her 1931/1932 World Tour at the

, Times Square, New York. * Yale University Library – Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library: Adelaide Hall publicity photographs collected by writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten.

Sources

Ian Carr Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus, and was an associate professor at the Guildhall ...

Digby Fairweather Richard John Charles "Digby" Fairweather (born 25 April 1946) is a British jazz cornetist, author and broadcaster. Biography Before becoming a professional musician, Fairweather was a librarian and has retained an interest in jazz bibliograph ...

and

Brian Priestley Brian Priestley (born 10 July 1940)Many sources list Priestley's year of birth as 1946, but this is inaccurate. See Priestley's entry in ''The Rough Guide to Jazz'' anon his revised Charlie Parker study. is an English jazz writer, pianist and a ...

. ''Jazz: The Rough Guide''. * Iain Cameron Williams
''Underneath A Harlem Moon''
Continuum, 2002,

References

External links

* * Lucy Shacklock

African Stories in Hull & East Yorkshire.
''A Cabaret Moment'' starring Adelaide Hall
features a live recording of Hall in concert in New York in the early 1990s. The program was aired on 13 May 1990 on WNCA Radio, and was presented by Don Smith on his radio show ''Cabaret Night''. WNYC, New York City (retrieved 26 September 2020)
Adelaide Hall (on WNYC Radio)
A Cabaret Moment starring Adelaide Hall, hosted by Donald F. Smith. WNYC archives id: 225027. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Adelaide 1901 births 1993 deaths 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American dancers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century English singers African-American actresses African-American dancers African-American female dancers American emigrants to England American emigrants to the United Kingdom American female dancers American gospel singers American jazz singers American musical theatre actresses American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent American stage actresses American tap dancers American women jazz singers British women jazz singers Burials at the Cemetery of the Evergreens Cabaret singers Columbia Records artists Dancers from New York (state) Decca Records artists Entertainments National Service Association personnel Harlem Renaissance Jazz musicians from New York (state) Music hall performers Musicians from Brooklyn People from Brooklyn People of Montmartre RCA Victor artists Scat singers Singers from London Singers from New York City Torch singers Traditional pop music singers Vaudeville performers