Billie Holiday - The Long Night of Lady Day

In The Closet...Interacial love children Part 1

Its amazing that people often only think of the closest as a place for gays or homosexuals but what about a few other closestul.s? Interacial love was so closeted at one time that a drop of negro blood was powerful stuff. Enough that the children were essentally deemed an embarrasment.... Essie Mae Washington-Williams, the lovechild of Senator Strom Thurmond and his former black maid, has passed away at age 87. Washington-Williams kept her father’s secret for 70 years. She revealed his identity after Thurmond died in 2003. The former South Carolina governor was a known segregationist and the longest serving senator in U.S. history. Essie Mae Washington-Williams was a retired educator who was raised by her mother, Carrie Butler, until Butler died at age 38. She was sent to her aunt and uncle, Mr. John and Mary Washington, in Coatesville, Pa. The young mixed-race child didn’t even know that her mother was Carrie Butler until the age of 13. She was later told that she was of mixed-race and that her white father was Strom Thurmond. Thurmond was in his 20’s when he became close to Carrie Butler, who was a young teenager, working as the household maid. Upon learning that his daughter knew of his identity, Thurmond met with Washington-Williams and sent her $200. Although her father’s identity was not publicly known, Thurmond continued to contribute to his daughter financially and met with her in secret over his lifetime. However, in 1948, the same year that Carrie Butler passed away, Strom Thurmond built his segregationist political platform, denouncing integration of the black and white community. Washington-Williams says that those who worked in the Thurmond home knew of her existence and family lineage. Even though Thurmond helped her with occasional finances, met with her at her HBCU, and sent a letter of recommendation for her son to attend medical school, he barely acknowledged a Father’s Day card.

Poor without a damn pot to even piss in!!!!!

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor" But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s: Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . ...... . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting Married. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!" Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold. In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake. England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer. And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring

Le Revue De Colour Male Burlesque Review November 2009 ( rehersal and revue)

Le Revue De Colour Male Burlesque Review November 2009 ( rehersal and revue)

Some new looks at Billie Holiday

I guess if youve ever read my blog you know I have an unwavering love for all things Billie Holiday. That love goes back to the age of about twelve and though I dont listen to her as much she still has her own playlist on my Ipod. So imagine my surprise when my phone rings at about 1am a time when 6 days out of 7 I am sound asleep and my real annoyance when I heard my ex on the phone excitedly proclaiming " Get on your computer theirs something you have to see! I found it just for you!" I figured if someone calls at 1am knowing how nicely I string curse words together then it must be important and indeed it was! Pictures of Billie I had never seen. So I share with you.....

I cant help think what the prim and proper Ms. Hazel Scott thought of Billie Holiday as a woman first and foremost. Being she became the wife of a pastor and all. However,I remember in Billies Memoirs she tells a story of the young Hazel Scott auditioning for a job at Barney Josephens cafe society and Billie was really or rather her ghost writer was rather crass in their description of her.

Its always nice to see people finally not hoarding photos of Lady and for that I guess we can build an idol of Bill Gates and praise him twice a damn day....enjoy

Someone with a foot fetish must have taken this but those are a sharp pair of shoes!

I love this one you know damn well Billie didn't ski but you love this pic all the same!

Ethel Moses

Actress and dancer Ethel Moses, who became a leading lady in silent and sound black films, was the daughter of well-known New York Baptist Minister W.H. Moses. She began her show business career as a dancer in 1924, when she was cast with internationally-renowned entertainer Florence Mills in Dixie to Broadway. From 1928 to 1933, she along with her sisters, Julia and Lucia Lynn, performed as part of the Cotton Club Girls chorus line. In between performing at the Cotton Club, Moses appeared in Blackbirds (1926) and the Broadway Revival of Show Boat (1927). Wanting to diversify her career in show business and inspired by her sister Lucia Lynn (who received short-lived acclaim for her performance in the 1927 silent film, The Scar of Shame) Moses delved into world of race films, first appearing in Oscar Micheaux’s 1935 crime drama Temptation. In 1936, Moses married Cab Calloway’s pianist Bennie Payne and continued to perform in nightclubs throughout Harlem, New York where her alluring features and enterprising personality made her one of Harlem’s most notable entertainers of her time. Moses was a fixture and sex symbol in a variety of Micheaux’s films during the late 1930s, appearing in Underworld (1937), God’s Stepchildren (1939), and Birthright (1939). Yet, as the making of all-black cast independent films faded, Moses’ film career ended. By the beginning of the 1950s, she had retired and remarried, this time to Frank Ryan, a factory worker. The couple settled away from the limelight in Jamaica, Long Island. Though forgotten in the history of black film, Moses remains an important figure as she was one of the few black underground actresses who represented African American characters in roles that accurately reflected black life during a time when most major Hollywood filmmakers refused to do so. Sources: Edward Mapp, Directory of Blacks in the Performing Arts, (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1978); Anonymous, “Cotton Club Girls,” Ebony, April 1949, Vo. 4, No. 6; Anonymous, “Parsons Pretty Daughter Chooses Stage Career,” The Pittsburgh Courier, October 4, 1924. Contributor:

Leave it on the floor

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Ye Olde Colored Theater presents "LYING LIPS" Oscar Micheux

nightclub singer refuses to "date" customers, so she's framed for the murder of her aunt, convicted of the killing and sent to prison. Directed by Oscar Micheaux. BTW James Earl Jone's dad is in this. Category: Film & Animation Tags: nightclub singer refuses date customers framed drama murder aunt convicted prison License: Standard YouTube License

Ye Olde Colored Theater Presents "God's Step Children - Part 1"

Before Rhoda Penmark in "The Bad Seed" there was Naomi. Well here it is fans, Part 1 of this wonderful 1938 movie directed by Oscar Micheaux that has a combination of elements from the movies "Imitation of Life" (1934) and "These Three" (1936). The story focuses on the young light skinned girl named Naomi who is dropped off by her black mother to black widow Mrs. Saunders who soon grows up to be a troublemaker towards everyone around her as a child, and later as an adult. This movie stars Jacqueline Lewis, Ethel Moses, Alice B. Russell, Gloria Press, and Carman Newsome. There are eight parts in all so I hope you all enjoy this 70 minute classic that is the only known version of the movie at the moment. Certain scenes have been edited out shortly after it's release due to public reaction of them by black audiences that found them offensive. A few of these cut scenes however can still be seen in the film's opening preview trailer (Note: the woman holding baby Naomi in the opening trailer is Trixie Smith, not the woman that plays Naomi's real mother. That's Dorothy Van Engle who was unfortunately uncredited along with Cherokee Thornton who plays Clyde Wade later on in the movie). Also, it took me seven hours to split the parts up in the right spots but it's all worked out perfectly. Remember, this was a low budget movie so it wasn't filmed as sharp as you may want it to look. The picture may be hard to see at times because of the lighting but that only happens a few times.

Within Our Gates (1919) Movie Of The Month

A silent race film produced, written and directed by novelist Oscar Micheaux, it is the oldest known surviving film made by an African-American director.
The film dramatically expresses the racial situation in America during the violent years of Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, the Great Migration, and the emergence of the "New Negro". The story focuses on an African-American woman who goes North in an effort to help a minister in the Deep South raise money to keep a school open for poor Black children. Her romance with a black doctor eventually leads to revelations about her family's past that expose the racial skeletons in America's closet, most famously through the film's depiction of a lynching.

Director:
Oscar Micheaux
Writers:
Gene DeAnna (restoration titles), Oscar Micheaux
Stars:
Evelyn Preer, Flo Clements and James D. Ruffin

I Hear Music- Billie Holiday 1940

"Dream Of Life" Billie Holiday 1939 vocalion

Things That I Think Are Just Plain Stupid

1. Nicki Manaji- Their is nothing more silly then looking at a grown up African American female dressed up and acting like a white Barbie Doll toy... 2. The House of Darion- I love Beyonce but really I don't think of her and her mom when I think couture 3. Jobless or unemployed people with IPHONES and Blackberrys- Can u say priorities first? Geez talk about putting the cart b4 the damn horse! 4. Free porn sites- half the fun was trying to find that stuff back in the days now? Its just all up in our faces cant even get excited personally I feel like a medical doctor looking at a patient when I see pornography these days! 5. Anti virus software that never finds anything but yet and still your computer crashes! 6. Hiring grown, able bodied,healthy, goodlooking men to work in the school system and then acting surprised when they mess around with a 16 year old- Isnt that alot like putting in crack head in a crack house and telling him to keep everything safe?m Theres a reason why those dudes dont want to work too hard trust me! 7. Men on the DL that get on tv and the internet saying they are DL ummmmk aren't you defeating the purpose with that stroke of genius??? 8. People who don't believe in safe sex I mean cmon why not just do us all a favor kill yourself and let the state cremate you it will be cheaper than caring for your dumb ass in the long run. 9. The US government I mean come on why elect a president then let a bunch of people decide what he can or cant do then talk junk about him? 10. Religious people who talk and witness about the Lord and then have sex in parks and cam all night...

New York Drag Culture for the love of Pat Cleveland

I remember the summer of 1987 very well why? Because I went to what is now known as a legendary gay ball. A old fashion Harlem, NY ball held by the Royale House Of Princess in New York. I remember being underage, very skinny, not particularly well dressed and scared to death of the Bronx, NY. I also remember dating a 27 year old by the name of Raymond Moore who knew everyone who was in the ball scene and had a sister that was a model and lived in Chelsea.He loved fashion and was a great dresser in what was then the best style of the day that preppy Polo look. During this time balls were a mostly drag queen affair. The catergories I remember were very limited, they were held in the wee wee hours of the morning after most of the "girls" would come off 3rd ave or the Kentucky strip ( 8th, 9th and 10th ave strolls) it was mostly about beauty and realness and labels(clothes labels) that's why everyone went to these things. Truth be told my mother had a friend that worked at Rikers Island jail in Elmhurst, Queens her name was Miss. Gearldine and she was a member of our church. I knew when a ball was going to be because the "kids" would be in jail for stealing out of Saks, Bergdorf, and Bloomingdales! This before the flyers would even announce the affair! The legendary boosters had the good stuff like Chanel Dior, Ted Lapidus and of course Ralph Laurens Polo No bootleg in those days! The category called "Pieces from a magazine" and during that time when you entered a club an obnoxiuous yet fabulous fem queen would check your label his name was Miss Stacy I adored her/him because they gave me my first Dior shirt and stiff lecture on Herion and drugs and to never drink or smoke anything anyone gave you. also he spent the night in the major department stores and was quite the legend just for that! He was sort of a mentor and I remember him having given me a Chanel tie a big deal to a 8th grader! Also a leather portfolio for my school books. My friends didn't want me to get "Read" because my mother shopped at Macys, Ohrbachs and Sears. So I was the kid everyone just cared about and gave stuff to that I had hell explaining to my Mom where i got it to...My memory serves me correctly inspite of the morals or whatever they were genuinely nice people who looked out for my crew a gang of mangy teenagers that ran 8th avenue from Penn station to west 42nd street. Mostly the majority of this crew died during the AIDS/HIV epidemic that rocked New York City ( RIP) I miss them.

Men that emulated women. New York to me had the top in this category (not to be taken lightly. I had already been on Central Avenue in LA in 1988 with two of my friends and saw the ones that hung at the old waldorf bar no match for NYC in my eye!)due to the popular doctors at the time that made these people beutiful Dr. Felix Schiffman on Park Avenue and Dr. Wallman(sic) in Brooklyn produced legendary beautys such as Candy Lebji, Vanity, Onjanee, Portia and Patasa were a few of the more famous ones during this period that I actually met. For the hustling girls there was a boot leg doctor called "Jimmy Treetop who I remember got accused of selling Monkey hormones" God only knew what these were! drag queens that looked like models that was the big deal in those days . But their were others that were just as famous " Mona" and Silicone Paris were popular for the sheer amounts of work they had (implanted silicone in their bodies) and Mona whose husband beat her and her silicone shifted causeing her to walk with a limp and it had to be scraped out in LA Striking to look, lovely to see was one such person who left me with what can only be described as a gasp and a sigh. "She" was tall and very beautiful light complexed and wore a dress with a white fox cape! Drinking a high ball at the now defunct Sallys Hideway ( formerly Blues bar) which was on west 43rd street I believe off seventh ave. Even though they were whores and drug abusers in my youthful mind this was a new world and it really fasinated me. i didnt want to be LIKE them i did want to be AROUND them. Plus I was a nice looking guy who looked mature and they loved showing me off they never molested me or any of my friends tho. They had morals when it came to that! We all got into this cab and went to the Bronx The Savoy Manor I believe or the Elks Club I cant remember correctly which it was 5 am thats when these events started in those days. One of the people in the cab said "Isnt she giving you Pat Clevland? I had no idea who the hell Pat Clevland even was I had to be about 12 or 13 years old at the time because I was in Junior high School and was just learning the New York City scene as I was raised in Long Island ( The two places are like night and day)Long Island is the country or suburbs and all I knew about was GQ magazine and my mothers Ebony which had a fashion fair section in it. I read it after dark when no one was looking little boys didnt read that type stuff without a lot of questions and funny looks Its amazing the old new York u could do anything and go anywhere underage! However, years went and even more balls in those days their was at least a ball or two a month. The house of lebeji, the house of Wong, Dupree, lebeji yu can call the role on those legendary houses thatthrived before that shit got international it was as columist Cindy use to say "Only in New york Kids!" and I had never even seen a picture of Pat Clevland tho people described her beauty and she was quite popular still even then. Their was no Google in those days so old information was obtained by micro film at the libary or scanning old magazines from garage sales. At that age .....No thank you Sometime in the early 1990s while visiting Colledge Park, Ga a suburb of Atlanta we all went out slumming to a bar called The Marquette or The Queasy to celebrate someone named Nicoles birthday another trans gender that I remember wore her hair like Josephine baker, wore no make up and was a dead ringer for the person I met in New York and watched walk in the house of princess ( Now defunct) ball. The club was owned by a guy named hunter whose father was in the service with my father and later worked as a guard in jackson ga at a State prison their if my memory serves me right. he owned this gay bar alot of ppl probably still remember it. Again I heard someone in our party ask the same question "Doesnt Miss. Nicole give you Pat Clevland? " I remember replying " Looks like Josephine baker to me" My escort at the time a guy from the old Techwood housing projects had driven us to his old home ATL said they call that perfect emulation he can emulate a woman to perfection.....He loved the whole art of it and in those days it was at its peak Well, up to that point the best emulators all seemed to have one thing in common " Looking like Pat Clevland tall, light skinned, and skinny" it was still a few years till I got my first Tandy computer and finally laid eyes on the Great Pat Clevland herself but if you guys are still alive and kicking I am ,putting it in writing " Yes both of them looked like Pat Clevland! enjoy the blog my memories and the bio on this wonderful model and the pictures and Happy February.

Who was Pat Clevaland? (orginally posted by dpbenson) Pat Cleveland -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I searched and searched and was shocked to discover that she does not have her own thread. From http://www.divasthesite.com/Runway_D...Cleveland.htm: One of the first women of color to enjoy worldwide recognition, American model Pat Cleveland got her break when she was 14, after being spotted on the subway by a Vogue editor. She is best known for her playfully over-the-top poses and worked with Valentino, Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent. Also, together with Karen Bjornson and Anjelica Huston she was one of Halston's original models. They were so loyal that they became known as the Halstonettes. Cleveland returned to the runway five years ago, walking at the Bill Blass and Stephen Burrows shows in New York and is now in her late fifties. From http://panachereport.com/channels/ol...e/Donyale.htm: Contrary to popular belief, Naomi Campbell is not the runway queen. That title belongs to Pat Cleveland who became the best runway model in fashion history. Affectionately called Cleveland. Pat Cleveland (pictured above to the left) would dominate the runway like no other model. Legendary performer Josephine Baker made it well known, she wanted Cleveland to portray her in a film, if her life story was ever adapted for a movie because Cleveland bore a resemblance to a younger Baker. The things that Cleveland did on the runway; have yet to be duplicated. She had a partner, male model and dance partner, Sterling St. Jacques, pictured above, (son of late actor Raymond St. Jacques), they walked the runway like two graceful black panthers and they were known to break into a Tango. The crowd would stand on their feet in anticipation when they came on stage and they didn't disappoint. At one event, St. Jacques came out carrying Cleveland on his shoulders. They were also dance partners on Soul Train. Pat Cleveland is currently signed with the Legends division of the Ford Modeling Agency. When she isn't working on the modeling circuit, she relaxes at her Chateau in the Swiss Alps. She loves to vacation in Monte Carlo, eating smoked barracuda on private yachts. When she attends Fashion Week in New York, she has reserved ringside seats and she's treated like royalty. Read more: Pat Cleveland - the Fashion Spot http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f52/pat-cleveland-75328.html#ixzz1nE4oEz6B

Dorothea Towles " The making of a legend"

Before Pat Cleland, Naomi Campbell or Iman Their was the lovely Parisian African American model Dorothea Trowles her life story reads like an exciting fairy tale and her beauty exquisite. I first stumbled upon her name while cleaning a elderly neighbors home Mr. Boynton here in Brooklyn, New York he had old copies of Jet magazines laying around the house very casually I might add. Imagine my surprise when my ex and I were looking and I noticed the date and it was a 1950 something issue and in the usual Jet magazine layout among other pictures was a picture of Ms. Towles- Church . I took a picture of the cover I dont think cell phones had camereas then this was in the mid 1990s Mr. Boynton wasnt keen on letting kids take his prize posessions and I posted on the now defunct danger web site. A then popular website for the cellular phone known as the Sidekick. During the closing of the official "Black History month" I am choosing to celebrate with you her beauty. She was the consumate professional often seen on Diors and Balmains runway which to this day is the signature look of the 1950's ( Think New look 1947 created by Christian Dior") enjoy her shadow on these pages with a bio from wikepedia....

Early life Church was born in Texarkana, Texas. She was the seventh of eight children in a farming family. She attended Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where she majored in biology. After her mother's death, a wealthy uncle invited her to move into his house in Los Angeles. She transferred to the University of Southern California, where she received a master's degree in education. Church is of African American descent. [edit] Modeling career Church initially considered an acting career, but was discouraged by the lack of roles for black actors. She enrolled in the Dorothy Farrier Charm and Modeling School in Los Angeles. She found work modeling for magazines with a black readership and in fashion shows on the West Coast. Her sister, Lois Towles, sang in the Fisk University concert choir during its European tour in 1949. Church scheduled a two-month vacation in Paris that coincided with the Fisk choir's concert schedule. While in Paris, Church decided to try out for some modeling assignments. Christian Dior hired her on the spot to replace one of his regular models who was out on vacation.[1] Church found Paris so inviting that she decided to stay in France. She told her husband, a wealthy dentist several years her senior, that she wouldn't be returning to California. Church also designed her own gowns with samples she bought from Paris designers using her model's discount. In 1954 she returned to the United States and began a tour of black colleges, showcasing her couture line. Her fashion shows served as fund-raisers for Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority for black women. She later signed as a model with the Grace del Marco agency in New York City. Shortly after moving to New York she met Thomas Church, an immigration lawyer. They married in 1963 and had one son. They remained married until Thomas Church's death in 2000. [edit] Racial Barriers Church was revered in France during the five years she modeled in Paris. Church recalled her experience in Paris of the early 1950s in a 2004 interview for Women's Wear Daily: "For once I was not considered black, African American or Negro. I was just an American." The French fashion establishment "treated you like a queen," she said.[citation needed] In her 1998 book Black and Beautiful, author Barbara Summers quotes Church about her celebrity status in Paris at the beginning of the 1950s: "I got invited out all the time. I was the only black model in Europe and I just thought I was an international person." Church was not totally immune to prejudice in Paris, however. Pierre Balmain would not allow her to borrow his designs for an Ebony Magazine shoot out of concern Balmain's white clientele would be offended.[citation needed] [edit] Death Church died at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. Her death was attributed to heart and kidney disease.

Early life Wale was born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin in Washington, D.C. on September 21, 1984.[1] His parents are of the Yoruba ethnic group of southwestern Nigeria and came to the United States from Austria in 1979. Wale's family first lived in Northwest Washington DC before moving to Montgomery County when Wale was 10. He graduated from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland in 2001 and later moved to Largo, Maryland.[2] Wale attended Robert Morris University and Virginia State University on football scholarships, then transferred to Bowie State University but dropped out.[3][1] Wale's love of the game of football and the Washington Redskins has led to a longstanding rumor that Wale had a tattoo of tight end Chris Cooley.[4] He is also the cousin of actor Gbenga Akinnagbe. [edit] Career [edit] Beginnings Wale's first recording was called "Rhyme of the Century".It was his first song to ever be played on local radio. He was featured in the "Unsigned Hype" column of The Source magazine in 2006. He was signed to a local label called Studio 43 in 2006. "Dig Dug (Shake It)" became popular in Washington, D.C, Maryland and Virginia and was a tribute to Ronald "Dig Dug" Dixon, percussion player for the go-go band Northeast Groovers.[3] The song became the most requested song by a local artist in D.C. radio history and Wale was the first local artist to get any BDS spins since DJ Kool in the early 1990s. The song was included in Wale's first mixtape, Paint a Picture. In July 2006, Wale found representation in Daniel Weisman, a former club DJ and promoter who had no previous experience in management.[5] Weisman had been tipped off about the rapper by a friend in Washington, D.C and connected with him through Myspace.[5] In September 2006, after dropping another go-go influenced single, "Breakdown", sampled from Huck-a-Bucks "Sexy Girl" and getting a mention in The Washington Post,[6] Wale released his first non-go-go original single, "Uptown Roamers." On September 14, 2006, "Uptown Roamers" debuted on XM Radio Channel 66 and was played twice in one day. Both "Breakdown" and "Uptown Roamers" were on Wale's second mixtape, Hate Is the New Love. Wale's song "Breakdown," was featured on the video game Madden NFL 2009. Wale won the award for "D.C. Metro Breakthrough Artist of the Year" at WKYS's Go-Go Awards in November 2006.[7] On December 15, The Fader magazine associate editor Nick "Catchdubs" Barat visited Wale for an interview and photo shoot which appeared in the March 2007 issue of The Fader.[8] Manager Weisman told HitQuarters that the Fader feature, given the magazine's music/culture/fashion orientation, laid an important foundation for Wale to position himself as a "cool, smart, up-and-coming hip-hop artist".[5] In January 2007, Wale released a new single to radio called "Good Girls" produced by Gerard Thomas and Demario Bridges for TeamMusicGroup. Wale later appeared on Mark Ronson's remix of Lily Allen's "Smile"[9] and was a headliner on Ronson's UK tour that year promoting Ronson's second album Version.[10][11] In June 2007, Wale signed to a production deal with Ronson's Allido Records.[3] In May 2010, Wale abruptly canceled a scheduled performance at DC Black Pride, an annual black gay pride event. In an email to the event's organizer, Wale's manager claimed he was unaware it was a gay event when he agreed to perform. However, on May 28, 2010, it was announced he would perform alongside the headliner for free.[12] [edit] National attention and major label signing Wale released his third mixtape, 100 Miles & Running, on July 11, 2007 as a free download on his Myspace page. This mixtape includes features from Mark Ronson, Daniel Merriweather, Amy Winehouse, and Lily Allen. It was released on the same day as his performance at the Highline Ballroom, in Manhattan. The Highline show was to promote the US release of Mark Ronson's album and included performances by Mark Ronson, Wale, Saigon, and Daniel Merriweather. Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye West, Maroon 5, Clive Davis, Eve and Danny Masterson were all in attendance. There, Wale was interviewed by MTV News correspondent J.D. Tuminski for his first national TV feature on August 16, 2007.[13] With Ronson, Wale performed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.", a remix of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." from Wale's 100 Miles mixtape, at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.[14] The Washington Post profiled Wale on the front page of the Sunday Style section in the October 21, 2007 edition.[1] Wale was featured on the cover of the 150th issue of URB along with French electro group Justice. In March 2008, Wale signed a joint venture deal with Mark Ronson's Allido Records and Interscope, joining Rhymefest and Daniel Merriweather as Allido artists.[15] Epic Records, Atlantic Records, and Def Jam all competed to sign Wale.[3] On May 30, Wale released his fourth mixtapeThe Mixtape About Nothing, heavily produced by Best Kept Secret.[16] Wale said that the television show Seinfeld inspired The Mixtape About Nothing: "the TV show's 'honest dialogue' mirrors his lyrical style, which frequently references pop culture and politics while avoiding gangster-rap bluster".[17] After signing with Interscope, Wale began recording tracks for his major label debut: in a 2008 interview with Express, a newspaper published by the Washington Post Company, Wale announced that he was recording a song with Chrisette Michele called "Shades", which discusses inter-black racism.[18] Wale also appeared on Interscope label mate DJ Greg Street's single "Dope Boys" which samples Hip Hop classic T.R.O.Y. alongside Lupe Fiasco and Kardinal Offishall.[19] Rapper Young Chris of rap duo Young Gunz also began plans for a collaboration mixtape with Wale.[20] On June 19, 2009, Wale released his fifth mixtape, Back to the Feature, on which eleven of the tracks were produced by 9th Wonder, with contributions also coming from Mark Ronson and others.[21] The album's title, a play off the name of the movie Back to the Future, referred to the fact that a lengthy list of rappers joined Wale on the songs, including K'naan, Talib Kweli, Joell Ortiz, Beanie Sigel, Curren$y, J. Cole and Bun B.[22] The mixtape received positive reviews from Vibe magazine[22] and website Pitchfork Media,[23] but Colin McGowan of Cokemachineglow commented that it represented neither "a step forward or back [for the artist] so much as shouting-in-place."[24] Wale did a guest performance on "Change", a song by the Australian singer/songwriter Daniel Merriweather. It was written by Merriweather and Andrew Wyatt and produced by Jayceon Dolinh and Mark Ronson. It was released on January 30, 2009, in the United States and Canada, and February 2, 2009, in the UK (where the song peaked at no.8). The song is included on Merriweather's album Love & War. On September 13, Wale, alongside the DC-based musicians of UCB (Uncalled 4 Band)- The Board Administration artists, served as the official house band for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[25] [edit] Attention: Deficit (2009) Wale performing at Georgetown University's 2010 Midnight Madness On November 10, 2009 Wale's debut album, Attention Deficit, had primarily positive reception. It debuted at the number 21 spot on the Billboard 200 and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. Interscope claimed that the LP was undershipped and that was the reason for the low sales numbers. Daniel Weisman, Wale's manager, claimed that Interscope didn't ship enough copies of the album.[26] The first single off Attention Deficit was "Chillin", featuring Lady Gaga, followed by "Pretty Girls" featuring Gucci Mane and Weensey and "World Tour" featuring Jazmine Sullivan. Other guest artists on the album included Pharrell; Bun B; Chrisette Michele; K'Naan; Marsha Ambrosius; J. Cole; and Melanie Fiona.[27] In March 2010, Rapper Wale announced he and K'Naan would kick off a short co-headlining tour across the east coast of the US, beginning at the end of March in New York City.[28] According to Wale, he is in the studio with Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash, Sean Garrett, and Drumma Boy. On August 3, 2010, Wale released sixth mixtape, More About Nothing hosted by DJ Omega a follow-up to his critically acclaimed The Mixtape About Nothing under The Board Administration[29] - an independent label co founded with Marketing Executive Le'Greg O. Harrison. More About Nothing took the internet by storm resulting in 100,000 plus downloads in 90 minutes.[30] More About Nothing creatively integrates sitcom material with rhyme and wordplay to present Wale's frustrations on his plight to reach mainstream acceptance and success. Features include Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka, Daniel Merriweather, UCB, Board Administration Artists' Tiara Thomas, Black Cobain, Fat Trel, and NBA Player and DC Native Kevin Durant. In the last half of 2010, inspired by Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays project, Wale started re-release a track from one of his previous mixtapes for free-download on his own website every Thursday, calling this enterprise "Throwback Thursday". From then, guests on those tracks included Bun B, Pusha T, John Mayer, Lil Wayne and K'Naan. On February 5, 2011, during Super Bowl XVL festivities he announced his signing to artist Rick Ross, Maybach Music Group.[31] He states that he will still continue to be able to put out the music that he believes in behind the support of Rick Ross. Wale currently since 2009 has been signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation for management along with other artists such as J. Cole, Mark Ronson, Melanie Fiona and Rihanna. [edit] Ambition (2011) May 6, 2011, Wale shared plans with MTV Networks regarding the potential release of two albums in 2011. Later the same month, he confirmed Pre Production efforts for Ambition his second album slated for Fall 2011 release under Maybach and Warner Music Groups. Production for Ambition took place at ZAC Recording, in Atlanta, Georgia with The Board Administration Producer Tone P. Anticipation for Ambition was incited through the release and heavy viral promotion of Mixtape, The Eleven One Eleven Theory done under Wale's label, The Board Administration. The Eleven One Eleven Theory debuted August 17, 2011 on Life and Times in honor of Wale's Twitter milestone of reaching one million followers and was purposefully made with the intent to build widespread anticipation for November 1, 2011 the scheduled release date of Ambition.[32] This marketing strategy was the brainchild of The Board Administration CEO Greg Harrison and was executed through savvy social media integration resulting in the first shut down of renowned file sharing site Hulkshare in the first 4 seconds of posting the link.[33] Wale is the first mainstream artist to officially crash Hulkshare.[34] September 7, 2011 Wale announced plans for a 32-city domestic tour titled The Ambition Tour, which initiated October 2, 2011 in Minneapolis Minnesota and has dates through December 2011.[35] The Board Administration artist Black Cobain is the official opening act for each date and is followed by a rotation of various artists in select markets which include: Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Pusha T, J. Cole, Big Sean, Miguel, and more.[35] September 28, 2011, Wale revealed Ambition was complete and released single "Lotus Flower Bomb", featuring Miguel on Twitter.[36] September 29, 2011, Funk Master Flex debuted Wale's song "Tats On My Arms", featuring Rick Ross.[37] The next day Wale released the album cover for Ambition.[38] October 14, 2011, Wale released single "Focused", featuring Kid Cudi.[39] The official Ambition track listing includes 15 songs.[40] The Board Administration launched a robust social media campaign integrating never-seen-before social media strategy and savvy to virally promote Ambition. The promotional campaign included a five-part making of documentary; a Twitter campaign centered on a hashtag blitz–aptly named #Ambition and daily new music and video releases from Wale; and promotional materials for purchase through Warner Music Group and Maybach Music Group such as Ambition wristbands and graphic tees.[41]These efforts were also supported through televised making of episodes through networks such as MTV that hosted Sucker Free Road to Release.[42] The never-seen-before element of Wale’s Ambition promo blitz included a partnership formed between the current most popular file sharing site Hulkshare and The Board Administration.[41] Greater than 3 million footsteps frequent Hulkshare daily in pursuit of the hottest new music, and through this collaboration could view banner ads on practically every Hulkshare download page, each rectangular space flanked with Wale’s profile and a clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the album comes out.[43] October 27, 2011 Wale unveiled an Ambition snippet sampler on Youtube for people to preview the album.[44] Later the same day, a private Ambition media listening event, held at the Gansevoort Hotel of Chelsea New York, was attended by music executives, bloggers, various artists, and hip hop heads.[44] On November 2, 2011, Myspace and Hot 97 will presented a complimentary Wale and friends midnight Ambition release show at The Highline Ballroom in New York City. The event was hosted by Miss Info and featured special guest DJ Funk Master Flex.[45] The album debuted number two on the Billboard 200 selling 162,600 copies in its first week.[46] The album received mixed reviews, including a negative one in Wale's local Washington City Paper.[47] On November 25, 2011 shortly after the release of Ambition, Wale announced on twitter that he has already begun working on his third album.[48] [edit] Musical style In an interview with Flavorwire, Wale said that he incorporates elements of go-go in his music.[49] Cyril Cordor of allmusic described go-go as "a more raw, percussion-driven offshoot of disco" that originated in the Washington, D.C. area. Wale's early singles that were played primarily in his local metropolitan area heavily sampled 1990s go-go records.[3] Reviewing Attention Deficit, David Jeffries of allmusic remarked that Wale had a "post-Kanye, post-Lil Wayne, alternative-meets-hardcore style" and commented that Wale's single "Chillin'", which featured Lady Gaga, "crafts an instant floor-filler out of a sample from the '70s hit 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'".[50]

100 YEARS OF HISTORY IN TEN MINUTES

The Strange Thing About The Johnsons

This is a student film. Unbelievably complex, undeniably dark. It deals with a young man who is molesting someone in his family. Ill keep the mystery because once you learn who u will no doubt be sickened but still watch....feeling guilty every minute. However alot has been made of this student film and I give huge kudos to actor Brandon Greenhouse for his acting prowess hes studying acting at Northern Illionis University. I think Mr. Greenhouse is definately someone to remember in the future if he chosses cinema. The writer and director is Ari Aster and for a student film it is wonderfully easy to watch, clear crisp and as good photography wise as any of the ig studio pictures Ive seen lately.....Enjoy

Bold Negro from Nash County scares the Klan

Otis Baker? Humph where can I begin? When i read an article online about people thinking the Obamas were somewhat uppity I immediately thought of a story my father told me some years ago about a man from North Carolina, Nash County North Carolina He was a colored feller ( as my father would say) My father, grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930s and my grandfather was a share cropper for Otha Baker (Not related to Otis Baker.) Those times were hard times especially for a black man of color as my father would say "Especially in North Carolina" and probably even more so in Nash County which was then known as a one horse town

Otis Baker by fathers account was a nice lookin feller all even and light had some Indian in em, all Negros did back then that were light well he was downtown in the drug store and a bunch of the local white men swore he was looking at a white woman ( my father said he probably was things were quite intergrated when a white woman had a yen for a colored feller segregation flew out of the window as they found a placed to do as he called it "that thing") so as he was making leave to get back to his farm the white man said "Uppity Nigger we seen you looking at Missy So and so and we will be round to see you tonight" My Daddy said Otis coolly told them "You may but the first one come round that bend is gon be mine!" and he took his leave.

When they told you they would "see ya" that was code for your black ass was gonna be lynched, beaten or get a good tar and feathering, your house would be burned and your crops while your daughters would probably be raped. That was the antidote for dealing with a negro that didnt know his place.

No one came that night cause no one wanted to be first. Otis had a reputation for being a brawler his family picked up and moved before night fell the next night

Tim "KingFish" Moore "Boy! What A Girl"

Before I had ever seen the Amos and Andy show I saw Boy What A Girl in 2005 at the website that holds movies which have lost their copy right. I remember putting it on my IPOD and watching it on the TV at home with my 82 year old mother who actually had seen it the first time around and she said "Oh that's one of King Fishs movies" however I had no idea who the hell Kingfish was and at that time could care less. It wasn't until less than a week ago that I was in a old fashion mood ( An affectionate term my mate uses when I want to see a 20's, 30's or 40's pic) when I noticed the search engine picture ( as photographed above) but I opted to finally see if I could find Amos and Andy well I did and actually to my households dismay stayed up until 5:00 AM watching episodes on youtube.com this channel had so many hilarious episodes of this TV classic that I well, sort of over dosed! Check it out it's a scream! http://youtu.be/RrG6bRlVxiw and while your there why not give the owner a subscription and check out his wares!



Tim Moore (December 9, 1887 – December 13, 1958) was a celebrated African-American vaudevillian and comic actor of the first half of the 20th century. He gained his greatest recognition in the starring role of George "Kingfish" Stevens in the CBS television series, Amos 'n' Andy. He proudly stated, "I've made it a point never to tell a joke on stage that I couldn't tell in front of my mother."


Biography

[edit] Early years

Moore was born Harry Roscoe Moore in Rock Island, Illinois, one of 13 children of Harry and Cynthia Moore.[1][2] His father was a night watchman at a brewery. Tim Moore dropped out of high school to work at odd jobs in town and even danced for pennies in the streets with his friend, Romeo Washburn.[3][4]

In 1898, Moore and Washburn went into vaudeville in an act called "Cora Miskel and Her Gold Dust Twins." It was booked by agents and travelled through the United States and even Great Britain.[5][6][7] By 1904, the act had performed with the Barnum & Bailey Circus.[8] As Moore and Washburn grew older, the act became less effective and Miss Miskel sent them back to their parents in Rock Island. Shortly after this, Moore joined the medicine show of "Doctor Mick", a charlatan who sold a quack remedy called "Puritia." Doctor Mick travelled through the Midwestern states, with songs and dances provided by Moore and four Kickapoo Indians.[3][9] The young man also worked in a carnival sideshow and gave guided tours as a native tour guide in Hawaii.[3]

[edit] Boxer and entertainer





Early photo of Tim Moore.
Moore left Doctor Mick, first to become a stableboy and later a jockey. He also tried his hand as a boxer.[10][11] He returned to performing about 1906, with a troupe of minstrels called "The Rabbit's Foot Company."[12] By 1908, he was back in vaudeville and had met and married his first wife, Hester. They performed as a team, "The Moores - Tim & Hester", appearing in the United States and abroad.[13] In 1910, the couple was part of an act called the Four Moores.[14] They next performed together in "Georgia Sunflowers," a minstrel show that played the southern vaudeville circuit.[15] The Moores drew glowing reviews, Hester for her singing and Tim for his comedy.[16][17] By 1914, both Moores were part of an act with Tim Moore and Tom Delaney & Co.. Tim played the tuba and Hester played drums as part of a band. Moore's own stock company was responsible for all aspects of it.[18] The couple toured China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Fiji Islands and Hawaii with a vaudeville troupe.[15] The marriage ended in 1915, and Moore married a vaudeville actress named Gertrude.[19] He returned to boxing as "Young Klondike", training in New Zealand. He fought there and in Australia, England, and Scotland.[20] Before this, Moore fought as "Kid Klondike" in the US, with Jack Johnson and Sam Langford as some of his opponents.[21] Moore also made his way into films by 1915, playing the part of an egotistical musician in His Inspiration.[22] Tim and Gertie also entertained in New Zealand. A story in The Evening Post from 28 May 1917, goes on to say, "Another "star" item will be that of Tim and Gertie Moore, who have earned a big reputation in America, and were booked for Fuller's direct from the well-known Orpheum circuit."[23] Moore became well known for his one-man presentation of Uncle Tom's Cabin, where he would play the role of both Simon Legree and Uncle Tom, applying white chalk to half his face, and burnt cork to the other.[9][15][24][25] Moore literally took his act into the street for the sale of War Stamps in 1918.[26]

Having made $141,000 with his fists, in 1921 Moore and his wife returned to vaudeville.[1][27][28] He formed his Chicago Follies troupe and was a favorite on the Theater Owners Bookers Association vaudeville circuit during the Roaring Twenties.[4][29][30] In 1923, Moore and his wife co-starred with Sandy Burns, Walter Long, and Bobby Smart in a silent film comedy, His Great Chance (North State Films).[9] The following year, the Moores toured together in "Aces and Queens".


[edit] Broadway

In June 1925, Tim Moore made his Broadway debut as the star of Lucky Sambo (based on "Aces and Queens'). However, the show closed after only a few performances. He was a success in 1926 with the hit show Rarin' to Go, followed in 1927 with The Southland Revue.[31] Moore wrote all of his own material and also did some writing for other performers; a Moore skit called, Not a Fit Night for Man nor Beast, was bought by W.C. Fields.[3][24][25] He also did some writing for the radio show of the Two Black Crows comedy team. Moore was brought to New York to sign a writing contract but before this was done, Charles Mack of the team was killed in an auto accident, thus ending the act.[20] Moore wrote sketches which became part of Lew Leslie's "Blackbirds" revues as well.[32]

In 1928, Moore left vaudeville altogether for Broadway. This time he met with enormous success as the star comedian of Lew Leslie's hit musical comedy revue, the Blackbirds of 1928.[33] Moore's co-stars were singers Adelaide Hall and Aida Ward and renowned tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.[34] The hit musical scored high in Paris and London as well as on the road throughout the states. In 1931, Moore and his vaudeville straight man, Andrew Tribble,[35] performed one of their funniest routines in Oscar Micheaux's first talking picture, The Darktown Revue. After a disagreement with Lew Leslie, Moore starred in two unsuccessful Broadway revues, Fast and Furious (1931),[36] and The Blackberries of 1932.[37] In the former, Moore wrote some of the skits along with his friend and co-star Zora Neale Hurston.[38] Moore and fellow comedian Morton left the show in April, 1932, refusing to perform what were termed "dirty lines".[39] Needing each other, he and Leslie patched up their differences and Moore resumed his position as star comedian in the Blackbirds revues of 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939. Politics played a role in the demise of the 1936 edition of the Blackbirds, causing the London run to be shut down. At the time the troupe was booked in the United Kingdom, King Edward VIII had just abdicated the British throne for love of American Wallis Simpson. There was a wave of anti-Americanism, with women picketing performances of the Blackbirds, carrying signs disparaging American women.[40] In this last of the Blackbirds (1939), the principal singing star was Lena Horne.[41][42] Moore's last Broadway show was Harlem Cavalcade (1942), produced by Ed Sullivan and Noble Sissle.[43] During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Moore was one of the top comedians headlining at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.[44] He also performed on radio as a dramatic actor.[3][45][46]

In 1946, he starred as Bumpsie in the musical comedy film, Boy! What a Girl!.[9][47] He made some appearances on Ed Sullivan's television show, Toast of the Town, and at the Apollo Theater; Moore then retired from show business.[3][9][48] His wife Gertrude having died in 1934, Moore settled down with his third wife, Benzonia Davis Moore (1889–1956), in his home town of Rock Island, working the night shift at the Servus Rubber company, where boots and shoes were made.[4][9] The couple was married in 1941 and initially made their home in Baltimore.[1]

[edit] Television stardom

In 1951, Moore was recommended by his old vaudeville friend, Flournoy Miller, for the role of George "Kingfish" Stevens, a role which was voiced on radio by white actor Freeman Gosden.[25] He was called out of retirement by the Columbia Broadcasting System to star in a new television adaptation of Amos 'n' Andy.[49][50] As the radio series had developed in prior years, the scheming but henpecked Kingfish had become the central focus of most of the plots. In the television version, Moore played the character more broadly, with louder and more forceful delivery and a distinctive Georgia drawl, exaggerated for comic effect. Moore's Kingfish dominated the calmer and soft-spoken "Amos 'n' Andy" characters. Early in his career, Moore had developed a "con-man" routine he used for many years while in vaudeville; re-working some aspects of his old act produced the television character Kingfish.[25]

Moore was very popular in the show and for the first time in his career became a national celebrity as well as the first African American to win stardom on television. When leaving a train in Albuquerque to buy some Native American pottery, the proprietor recognized him immediately, saying, "You, you Kingfish." This was the first time it happened in Moore's 52 years in show business.[51] The show aired on prime-time TV from June 1951 to June 1953. Although quite popular, the series was eventually canceled due to complaints about ethnic stereotyping. Shortly after the television show left the air, there were plans to turn it into a vaudeville act in August 1953, with Moore, Williams, and Childress playing the same characters.[52] It is not known if this was ever realized. After the series was canceled, it was shown in syndication until 1966 when increasing condemnation and pressure from the NAACP persuaded the show's owners (CBS, which still owns the copyrights) to withdraw it from further exhibition. It was resurrected in the early days of home videotape through public domain video dealers who had acquired episodes from collectors of used 16mm TV prints, although the copyright was never in the public domain. Illegally produced copies continue to be sold over the internet.

Many of the episodes revolved around Moore's Kingfish character, supported by Ernestine Wade as his level-headed, emotionally strong wife Sapphire, and Amanda Randolph as his openly aggressive mother-in-law, without the participation of Amos or Andy. These Kingfish-only episodes were originally produced as a spinoff series, The Adventures of Kingfish, which made its debut on CBS on January 4, 1955 but lasted only a few episodes.[53][54] When the Amos 'n' Andy half-hours went into syndication, the Adventures of Kingfish shows were added to the syndicated package under the Amos 'n' Andy series title.

In 1956, Moore and his fellow cast mates Spencer Williams, Alvin Childress and Lillian Randolph with her choir, tried a tour of personal appearances as "The TV Stars of Amos 'n' Andy". The tour was halted by CBS, who viewed this as infringing on their exclusivity.[44] Moore, and fellow cast members Williams, Childress and Lee, were able to perform for one night in 1957 in Windsor, Ontario, apparently without legal action being taken against them.[55]

[edit] Later years

Moore married his last wife Vivian (1912–1988) eight months after Benzonia's death; they had been performing as a comedy team for some time before marrying in 1957.[10][56][57] This marriage won him considerable publicity thanks to the "Roast Beef Scandal" of January 1958. Moore fired a gunshot in his home because of his "mooching in-laws" (stepson, stepdaughter, and her husband) when he found that the last of the New Year's roast beef had been eaten by them.[44] Moore related, "These free-loaders have eaten everything in the house. My wife protects them and every time we talk about it, we get into an argument. The argument got a little loud and the next thing I knew, the big boy (his stepson Hubbard) jumped out of his chair. I ran upstairs and got out my old pistol. I didn't want to hit anybody."[58]

When the police arrived at the home, Moore, pistol still in his belt, told them, "I'm the old Kingfish, boys. I'm the one you want. I fired that shot. I didn't want to hit anyone, although I could have. Anyway, you should have seen the in-laws scatter when I fired that gun." [59] The shot Moore fired hit the china cabinet; he was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, with police calling him the "funniest prisoner in police history."[58] Moore was initially ordered held on $1,000 bond; the judge changed his mind and released Moore on his own recognizance.[59] Tim and his wife reconciled, with Vivian's pleading for the charges to be dropped.[60][61] Moore entered a not guilty plea before the case went to trial on March 24.[62] He received a $100 fine and a year's probation as his sentence.[63]

When the story broke, local television personality and columnist Paul Coates invited Tim Moore to appear on his KTTV television show; Moore explained the situation in two guest appearances. Coates was promptly taken to task for Moore's appearances on his show by Stanley Robertson, a journalist for the African-American newspaper, the Los Angeles Sentinel, calling Moore "disgraceful" and labeling the two shows with Moore as "television's darkest hour." Coates replied to his critic in his January 29, 1958 Los Angeles Times column, calling Moore "a pretty wonderful, sincere man" and saying he strongly resented Robertson's attack on him.[59]

Because of the "Roast Beef Scandal," Moore was once more in demand and even received a testimonial tribute dinner from the Friars Club of Beverly Hills, and appearing on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar.[64] The publicity also won him an extended performance engagement at the prominent Mocambo nightclub.[4]

[edit] Death

Moore died at age 71 on December 13, 1958 of pulmonary tuberculosis in Los Angeles, California, four days after his birthday. There was no money to pay for his hospital care or for his funeral, Moore having received his final $65.00 residual payment from Amos 'n' Andy in January, 1958. At one time Moore made $700 per week.[1][65][66]

After a large funeral at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, he was buried at Rosedale Cemetery. 10,000 fans and mourners passed his open coffin; attendees included Freeman F. Gosden, Charles Correll, Spencer Williams, Jr., Alvin Childress, Ernestine Wade, Amanda Randolph, Johnny Lee, Lillian Randolph, Sammy Davis, Jr., Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Andy Razaf, Roy Glenn, Mantan Moreland, Earl Grant.[67][68] Sammy Davis, Jr. later related that Frank Sinatra organized the effort to pay Tim Moore's funeral expenses.[69] Moore's grave remained unmarked from the time of his burial until 1983; fellow comedians Redd Foxx and George Kirby raised funds for a headstone.[70] There is now one marking the graves of Moore and his wife, Vivian, who died in 1988.[71][72]

Paying tribute to one of its favorite sons, the Rock Island Public Library held "Tim Moore Day" July 16, 2008. Moore's relatives in the area participated by sharing their memories of his life and work.[3]

[edit] References
Notes
1.^ a b c d e Johnson, Lillian (22 February 1941). "Played Best Theatres Of The World". The Afro-American. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
2.^ "Photo of Tim Moore with his parents and six of his seven brothers". Rock Island Argus. 13 August 1995. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
3.^ a b c d e f g "Celebrate Tim Moore Day at the Library". Rock Island Public Library. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2011. (PDF)
4.^ a b c d "Tim Moore". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
5.^ "Tim Moore". Black-face.com. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
6.^ "Tim Moore: The Gold Dust Twins". Yoda'sLair.com. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
7.^ "New York City-(Brooklyn)-Fulton Street Theater". The New York Clipper. 2 April 1904. Retrieved 12 June 2011. (PDF)
8.^ "Vaudeville and Minstrel". The New York Clipper. 22 October 1904. Retrieved 12 June 2011. (PDF)
9.^ a b c d e f "Tim Moore". Yoda'sLair.com. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
10.^ a b "TV Amos 'n' Andy Kingfish is Dead". Tri City Herald. 15 December 1958. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
11.^ Tyler, George (21 February 1931). "Harlem Rambles-Down Memory Lane With Tim Moore". The Afro American. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
12.^ "The Rabbit Foot Company". The Freeman. 1 August 1908. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
13.^ "Tim and Hester Moore Presenting 'In Dark Town Suffragette'". The Freeman. 8 November 1913. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
14.^ "The Pekin, Richmond, VA.". The Freeman. 1 October 1910. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
15.^ a b c Peterson, Bernard L., ed (1997). The African American Theatre Directory, 1816-1960: A Comprehensive Guide to Early Black Theatre Organizations, Companies, Theatres, and Performing Groups. Greenwood Press. pp. 336. ISBN 0313295379. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
16.^ "Tim and Hester Moore". The Freeman. 21 December 1912. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
17.^ "Tim Moore and Wife as a Heavy Box Office Attraction at the Monogram". The Freeman. 27 January 1912. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
18.^ "Dayton, Ohio". The Freeman. 9 May 1914. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
19.^ "50th Year for Lincoln Theater". Baltimore Afro American. 12 September 1959. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
20.^ a b "Two Comedians". The Afro American. 23 June 1934. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
21.^ Williams, Joe (8 February 1951). "Joe Williams says". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
22.^ "'His Inspiration'". The Evening Independent. 18 January 1915. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
23.^ "His Majesty's Theatre". The Evening Post. 28 May 1917. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
24.^ a b "More than the Kingfish, Actor Tim Moore". African American Registry. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
25.^ a b c d Wintz, Cary D.; Finkelman, Paul, eds (2004). Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance: Volume 2. Routledge. pp. 1392. ISBN 157958389X. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
26.^ "The Jose". The Freeman. 13 August 1918. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
27.^ McCollum, Obie (21 May 1927). "Says 'Dead' Chinese Actors Rise to Bow to Audiences". The Afro American. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
28.^ Why the Stars Go Broke. Ebony. July 1963. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
29.^ "Tim Moore's Chicago Follies Co.". The Afro American. 21 December 1923. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
30.^ "What the Stage Stars Were Doing 10 Years Ago". The Afro American. 27 February 1932. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
31.^ "Rarin' To Go". The Toledo News-Bee. 6 September 1926. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
32.^ "This Week in the Theatres". The Afro American. 14 July 1928. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
33.^ "Tim Moore To Be 'Blackbird'". The Afro American. 21 April 1928. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
34.^ "Sees Aida Ward As Future 'Flo' Mills". The Afro American. 26 May 1928. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
35.^ Tyler, George (14 February 1931). "Harlem Rambles". The Afro American. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
36.^ "3 Leading Comedians Neither Sing Nor Dance; But Are Hits". The Afro American. 10 October 1931. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
37.^ "1932: In Which Father Time Puts on The Worst Act Of His Career". The Afro American. 24 December 1932. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
38.^ "Many New Plays Slated To Run On Broadway". The Afro American. 8 August 1931. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
39.^ "Wouldn't Be Dirty, Comedians Quit Show". The Afro American. 7 May 1932. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
40.^ Matthews, Ralph (13 February 1937). "Who Killed Mr. Leslie's Blackbirds?". The Afro American. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
41.^ "New Romantic Opera". The Glasgow Herald. 19 March 1937. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
42.^ "'Blackbirds' To Get Another Try". Washington Afro-American. 11 February 1939. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
43.^ Wilson, Cleon (5 may 1942). "Cavalcade Scores On Broadway". The Afro American. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
44.^ a b c Clayton, Edward T. (October 1961). The Tragedy of Amos 'n' Andy. Ebony. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
45.^ "Eva Jessye In Radio Play". The Afro American. 8 April 1933. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
46.^ Bowen, Charles I. (22 April 1933). "On The Air-Eva Jessye, Radio Actress". The Afro American. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
47.^ "Marva Forced Out of New Film By Infected Throat". The Afro American. 28 September 1946. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
48.^ "Amos 'n' Andy Look For Exit As They Plan New TV Show". Reading Eagle. 17 June 1951. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
49.^ "Amos And Andy Name Subs For Television Roles". St. Petersburg Times. 18 June 1951. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
50.^ "Radio's Veteran Comics Smash Hit on Television". Eugene Register-Guard. 14 April 1954. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
51.^ Lyons, Leonard (11 August 1951). "The Lyons Den". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
52.^ "'Amos 'n' Andy' Set for Vaude". Baltimore Afro-American. 4 August 1953. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
53.^ New 'Kingfish' Series To Make TV Debut Jan. 4. Jet. 6 January 1955. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
54.^ Kantor, Michael; Maslon, Lawrence, eds (2008). Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America. Twelve. pp. 384. ISBN 9780446505314. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
55.^ Gardiner, John (25 June 1957). "The Theatre and its People". The Windsor Daily Star. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
56.^ "Amos 'n' Andy Show Figure To Wed Today". The Sun. 6 June 1957. Retrieved 10 November 2010. Pay Per View-"Tim Moore. 69. a widower, obtained the license with Mrs. Vivian J. Gravens. 39. and said they plan to be married tomorrow."
57.^ "Casino Features Chinese Dancer". The Pittsburgh Press. 12 December 1945. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
58.^ a b TV Kingfish and His Sapphire in Real-Life Domestic Brawl. Jet. 16 January 1958. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
59.^ a b c "The Daily Mirror". Los Angeles Times. 29 January 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
60.^ Kingfish Dismissal Plea Denied, 2 Make Up. Jet. 30 January 1958. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
61.^ "Kingfish Arrested On Assault Charge". Associated Press. January 1958. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
62.^ Kingfish Pleads Not Guilty In Gun Fracas. Jet. 27 February 1958. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
63.^ Kingfish Fined $100 For Roast Beef Fracas. Jet. 10 April 1958. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
64.^ Words Of The Week. Jet. 23 January 1958. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
65.^ Critically Ill, Kingfish Tells Wife Of Fears, Disappointments. Jet. 18 December 1958. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
66.^ "Kingfish Succumbs". Baltimore Afro-American. 16 December 1958. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
67.^ 10,000 Mourners See TV's Kingfish Buried In style. Jet. 8 January 1959. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
68.^ Harry Moore, TV's Kingfish. Jet. 25 December 1958. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
69.^ Sinatra A Complex, Honest Guy, Says Sammy. Jet. 12 March 1959. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
70.^ Kingfish Discovery. Jet. 15 August 1983. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
71.^ "Tim and Vivian Moore Headstone". Find A Grave. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
72.^ "Vivian Moore, 75, Widow of Television's Kingfish". Los Angeles Daily News. 14 January 1988. Retrieved 23 January 2011."The widow of "Amos 'n' Andy" television star Tim "The Kingfish" Moore has died of heart failure after a lengthy illness at age 75, her son said Wednesday. Vivian Moore, whose husband was a vaudeville and Broadway star before securing his most famous role as George Stevens on "Amos 'n' Andy," died at her home in Los Angeles Saturday, said son Paul" (pay per view)
Works cited Bogle, Donald. Blacks in American Films and Television: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Simon and Schuster, 1988.
Ely, Melvin Patrick. The Adventures of Amos 'n' Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon, The Free Press, 1991

[edit] External links
Tim Moore at the Internet Movie Database
Tim Moore biography
Tim Moore (comedian) at the Internet Broadway Database
Tim Moore (comedian) at Find a Grave

[edit] Watch
Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy at Internet Movie Database-Video by Hulu
Boy! What a Girl! at Internet Archive.