Josephine Baker Biography (1906–1975) Updated: Jan 14, 2021 Original: Jan 19, 2018. Josephine Baker's cultural legacy is still alive beyond the hundredth anniversary of her birth in 1906. She commented, "Nobody wants me, they've forgotten me;" but family members encouraged her to continue performing. [76], Writing in the on-line BBC magazine in late 2014, Darren Royston, historical dance teacher at RADA credited Baker with being the Beyoncé of her day, and bringing the Charleston to Britain. Having read a Blumenthal-written story about Leonard Bernstein's FBI file, he indicated that he had read his mother's FBI file and, using comparison of the file to the tapes, said he thought the Stork Club incident was overblown. In a performance called La Folie du Jour, Baker danced wearing little more than a skirt made of 16 bananas. The Free French had no organized entertainment network for their troops, so Baker and her entourage managed for the most part on their own. Grace Kelly; https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josephine_Baker&oldid=1001540085, Female recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France), Female resistance members of World War II, French-language singers of the United States, French people of African-American descent, Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France), Articles with French-language sources (fr), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Baker appears in her role as a member of the French Resistance in, The Italian-Belgian francophone singer composer. "No, I didn't get my first break on Broadway. Josephine Baker. [11], Josephine's mother married, Arthur Martin a "a kind but perpetually unemployed man," with whom she had son and two more daughters. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress.She was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri.Fluent in both English and French, Baker became an international musical and political icon. She was so upset by this treatment that she wrote articles about the segregation in the United States. Her early life hinted at her future career. Sara Josephine Baker was born in 1873 in Poughkeepsie, New York, to Daniel Mosher Baker, a lawyer, and Jenny Harwood Brown, one of the first graduates of Vassar College. Baker represented one aspect of this fashion. She was so moved by her reception that she wept openly before her audience. [53] In 1925, she began an extramarital relationship with the Belgian novelist Georges Simenon. When Baker's father died suddenly when she was sixteen, she gave up a Vassar scholarship to go to medical school to train for a secure career as a physician. )[46]), Baker worked with the NAACP. Paperback $45.95 $ 45. Towering entertainer, expert at chanson, racial barrier breaker, beloved in France, her sensuous banana dance is the stuff of legend. On 8 April 1975, Baker starred in a retrospective revue at the Bobino in Paris, Joséphine à Bobino 1975, celebrating her 50 years in show business. Her café-society fame enabled her to rub shoulders with those in the know, from high-ranking Japanese officials to Italian bureaucrats, and to report back what she heard. Why six weeks in the hospital? [78], Château des Milandes, a castle near Sarlat in the Dordogne, was Baker's home where she raised her twelve children. [3] (The club eventually met her demands). In her later career, Baker faced financial troubles. In 1968, she was offered unofficial leadership in the movement in the United States by Coretta Scott King, following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Her father, Eddie Carson, was a vaudeville drummer. Following her divorce from Wells, she found work with a street performance group called the Jones Family Band. The two could not marry because Baker was still married to her second husband, Willie Baker. Return to the U.S., Civil Rights Advocate. The marriage was reportedly very unhappy and the couple divorced a short time later. "[30], Later in 1941, she and her entourage went to the French colonies in North Africa. [53], During her time in the Harlem Renaissance arts community, one of her relationships was with Blues singer Clara Smith. Her mother, Carrie McDonald, was a washerwoman who had given up her dreams of becoming a music-hall dancer. Another short-lived marriage followed to Willie Baker in 1921; she retained Baker's last name because her career began taking off during that time, and it was the name by which she became best known. FREE Shipping by Amazon. Especially for a black woman (of that time) who would customarily have had her baby at home with the help of a midwife? The first African-American superstar. It’s all about Josephine Baker. Winchell responded swiftly with a series of harsh public rebukes, including accusations of Communist sympathies (a serious charge at the time). [84], In August 2019, Baker was one of the honorees inducted in the Rainbow Honor Walk, a walk of fame in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood noting LGBTQ people who have "made significant contributions in their fields. Josephine Baker – American-born French entertainer, activist, French Resistance agent, and freemason. They show that (Baker's mother) Carrie McDonald ... was admitted to the (exclusively white) Female Hospital on May 3, 1906, diagnosed as pregnant. She also raised them as different religions to further her model for the world, taking two children from Algeria and raising one Muslim and the other Catholic. One member of the Tribe, Jean-Claude Baker, said: "She wanted a doll."[60]. In 1947, she married French orchestra leader Jo Bouillon, and beginning in 1950 began to adopt babies from around the world. From a base in Morocco, she made tours of Spain. With Lynn Whitfield, Rubén Blades, David Dukes, Louis Gossett Jr.. Born poor in St. Louis, Missouri, Josephine Baker achieved fame and fortune through her sizzlingly exotic, erotic performances. In 1921, Josephine married a man named Willie Baker, whose name she would keep for the rest of her life despite their divorce years later. Josephine Baker (III). Towering entertainer, expert at chanson, racial barrier breaker, beloved in France, her sensuous banana dance is the stuff of legend. Baker's estate identifies vaudeville drummer Eddie Carson as her natural father despite evidence to the contrary. Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald on June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Carrie McDonald. Baker criticized the club's unwritten policy of discouraging Black patrons, then scolded columnist Walter Winchell, an old ally, for not rising to her defense. Kraut, Anthea, "Between Primitivism and Diaspora: The Dance Performances of Josephine Baker, This page was last edited on 20 January 2021, at 03:52. Baker died the same year and was given a state funeral in Paris. French writer Simone de Beauvoir laid the foundation for the modern feminist movement. It contains rarely seen archival footage, including some never before discovered, with music and narration. [30], During her travels in Yugoslavia, Baker was accompanied by "Count" Giuseppe Pepito Abatino. Paris, c. 1927 | MoMA", "Anastasia-Paris Hold the Key (to Your Heart) Original", "The Triplets of Belleville (Les Triplettes de Belleville)", "Langston Hughes African American Film Festival 2009: Carmen and Geoffrey", "Legend Josephine Baker passes away and Vince Gill is born", "The Verdict: What Do Critics Think of Josephine? Her father is identified as vaudeville drummer Eddie Carson by the official biography of her estate [2] , but Jean-Claude Baker, the unofficially adopted son of Baker suggests otherwise: They allowed no civilians and charged no admission. Also featured to perform that day were Roy Brown and His Mighty Men, Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Toni Harper, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon and Jerry Wallace. [30] At the start of her career in France, Baker had Abatino, a Sicilian former stonemason who passed himself off as a count, and who persuaded her to let him manage her. In fact my two favorite women from the 1920's, 30's, 40's etc, are Marlene Dietrich, and Josephine Baker. The honor she was paid spurred her to further her crusading efforts with the "Save Willie McGee" rally. She has also been inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame,[72] and on 29 March 1995, into the Hall of Famous Missourians. Josephine Baker's profession as Dancer and age is 68 years (age at death), and birth sign is Gemini. [6], After a while, Baker was the most successful American entertainer working in France. Bolstered by recognition of her wartime heroics, Baker the performer assumed a new gravitas, unafraid to take on serious music or subject matter. [58] Her estate featured hotels, a farm, rides, and the children singing and dancing for the audience. Josephine Baker was an American-born French dancer and actress. The daughter of musician Eddie Carson and laundress Carrie McDonald, Baker began performing on the St. Louis streets as a child and then became a chorine in musicals. In April 1975, Baker performed at the Bobino Theater in Paris, in the first of a series of performances celebrating the 50th anniversary of her Paris debut. Capitalizing on this success, Baker sang professionally for the first time in 1930, and several years later landed film roles as a singer in Zou-Zou and Princesse Tam-Tam. [65][66], She received a full Roman Catholic funeral that was held at L'Église de la Madeleine. She often took the children with her cross-country, and when they were at Château des Milandes, she arranged tours so visitors could walk the grounds and see how natural and happy the children in "The Rainbow Tribe" were. [29], In 1929, Baker became the first African-American star to visit Yugoslavia, while on tour in Central Europe via the Orient Express. She adopted 12 children in all, creating what she referred to as her “rainbow tribe” and her “experiment in brotherhood.” She often invited people to the estate to see these children, to demonstrate that people of different races could in fact live together harmoniously. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. In Belgrade, she performed at Luxor Balkanska, the most luxurious venue in the city at the time. She starred in Fausse Alerte in 1940. "[6], Her career began with blackface comedy at local clubs; this was the "entertainment" of which her mother had disapproved; however, these performances landed Baker an opportunity to tour in Paris, which would become the place she called home until her final days. [47] Baker attended rallies for McGee and wrote letters to Fielding Wright, the governor of Mississippi, asking him to spare McGee's life. She was known for aiding the French Resistance during World War II. Related Biography. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, career and timeline. [44], In January 1966, Fidel Castro invited Baker to perform at the Teatro Musical de La Habana in Havana, Cuba, at the 7th-anniversary celebrations of his revolution. Jean-Claude Baker did an exhaustive amount of research into the life of J… Related Biographies. Dick Gregory was a pioneering comedian and civil rights activist who took on race with layered, nuanced humor during the turbulent 1960s. The Josephine Baker Biography Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri , in 1906 to Carrie McDonald, a washerwoman and Eddie Carson, a vaudeville drummer. Josephine Baker did more than just shake a tail feather, she also fought for racial equality by demanding that her contract contain a nondiscrimination clause and that her audiences become integrated. She was presented with life membership with the NAACP by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Ralph Bunche. Photo: Gaston Paris/Roger Viollet/Getty Images. The show was a huge success and marked Baker’s comeback to the stage. Mata Hari was a professional dancer and mistress who became a spy for France during World War I. Sara Josephine Baker, American physician who contributed significantly to public health and child welfare in the United States. The bathrooms were designed in art deco style but most rooms retained the French chateau style. The engagement was a rousing success and reestablished Baker as one of Paris' preeminent entertainers. Isadora Duncan was a trailblazing dancer and instructor whose emphasis on freer forms of movement was a precursor to modern dance techniques. "[40][41], In 1952 Baker was hired to crown the Queen of the Cavalcade of Jazz for the famed eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on 1 June. [18], In Baker's teen years she struggled to have a healthy relationship with her mother, who did not want Josephine to become an entertainer, and scolded her for not tending to her second husband, Willie Baker, whom she married in 1921 at the age of 15. [10] Baker's foster son Jean-Claude Baker wrote a biography, published in 1993, titled Josephine: The Hungry Heart. Biography Abigail Smith Adams. In 1923, Baker landed a role in the musical Shuffle Along as a member of the chorus, and the comic touch that she brought to the part made her popular with audiences. Add the LGBT History Month videos to your website or blog! [38] As an entertainer, Baker had an excuse for moving around Europe, visiting neutral nations such as Portugal, as well as some in South America. "Josephine Baker to Crown Queen" Headliner Los Angeles Sentinel 22 May 1952. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDittmer1994 (, Jack Hockett - Josephine Baker correspondence, etc., (dated 1967-1976) part of the Henry Hurford Janes – Josephine Baker Collection at Yale University Archives, Box: 2, Folder: 78, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play, "Collective Mental State and Individual Agency: Qualitative Factors in Social Science Explanation", "Josephine Baker: The life of an artist and activist", "Josephine Baker (Freda McDonald) Native of St. Louis, Missouri", "When Frida Kahlo Set Her Eyes on Josephine Baker", "From the archive, 26 August 1974: An interview with Josephine Baker", "Josephine Baker: The First Black Super Star", "Female Spies in World War I and World War II", "Review of Josephine Baker: A Centenary Tribute", "Josephine Baker hero | Heroes: What They Do & Why We Need Them", "Firestorm Incident At The Stork Club, 1951", "Stork Club Refused to Serve Her, Josephine Baker Claims", "Stork Club Special Delivery Exhibit at the New York Historical Society recalls a glamour gone with the wind", "Profiles in Courage for Black History Month", "March on Washington had one female speaker: Josephine Baker", "(1963) Josephine Baker, "Speech at the March on Washington" | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed", "Would the perfect family contain a child from every race? In the 1920s she moved to France and soon became one of Europe's most popular and highest-paid performers. [75] The Piscine Joséphine Baker is a swimming pool along the banks of the Seine in Paris named after her. In 1936, riding the wave of popularity she was enjoying in France, Baker returned to the United States to perform in the Ziegfield Follies, hoping to establish herself as a performer in her home country as well. Her performance in the revue Un vent de folie in 1927 caused a sensation in the city. In 1963, she spoke at the March on Washington at the side of Rev. With her trademark suits and little black dresses, fashion designer Coco Chanel created timeless designs that are still popular today. 's Rainbow Honor Walk", "Alexander Calder. She carried information for transmission to England, about airfields, harbors, and German troop concentrations in the West of France. In her later years, Baker converted to Roman Catholicism. She decided to study medicine and after a year of private She made an immediate impression on French audiences when, with dance partner Joe Alex, she performed the Danse Sauvage, in which she wore only a feather skirt. Baker wanted to prove that "children of different ethnicities and religions could still be brothers." "[33], Despite her popularity in France, Baker never attained the equivalent reputation in America. Learn the steps that this dancer took in the fight against discrimination. When Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, Baker initially supported the move. She still continued to captivate audiences of all ages. In 1963, Baker participated, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., in the March on Washington, and was among the many notable speakers that day. [44][45] Actress Grace Kelly, who was at the club at the time, rushed over to Baker, took her by the arm and stormed out with her entire party, vowing never to return (although she returned on 3 January 1956 with Prince Rainier of Monaco). When World War II erupted later that year, Baker worked for the Red Cross during the occupation of France. On the day of her funeral, more than 20,000 people lined the streets of Paris to witness the procession, and the French government honored her with a 21-gun salute, making Baker the first American woman in history to be buried in France with military honors. I was only in the chorus in 'Shuffle Along' and 'Chocolate Dandies'. To help support her growing family, at age eight Josephine cleaned houses and babysat for wealthy white families, often being poorly treated. ", "Keri Hilson Pays Tribute To Janet, TLC, Supremes In 'Pretty Girl Rock' Video", "The characters referenced in Woody Allen's, "A 'Midnight in Paris' tour takes you back to the Paris of the '20s", "BWW Review: Josephine Reigns Supreme in 'The Last Night of Josephine Baker' at Midtown Arts Center", "The Ensemble Theatre Elevates the Life of Josephine Baker in Season Finale Musical "Josephine Tonight, The Josephine Baker collection, 1926–2001, "Adopting the World: Josephine Baker's Rainbow Tribe", Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris, 1931, Les Milandes – Josephine Baker's castle in France, The electric body: Nancy Cunard sees Josephine Baker (2003). Ernest Hemingway called her "the most sensational woman anyone ever saw. [14] By age 12, she had dropped out of school. 2020 Icons . In 1951 Baker was invited back to the United States for a nightclub engagement in Miami. [53] Josephine Baker was bisexual. Upon her return, Baker married French industrialist Jean Lion and obtained citizenship from the country that had embraced her as one of its own. "[85][86][87], American-born French dancer, singer, actress, and World War Two spy for the Americans, For other people named Josephine Baker, see. [24][25], In a 1974 interview with The Guardian, Baker explained that she obtained her first big break in the bustling city. [3] After the war, she was awarded the Croix de guerre by the French military, and was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by General Charles de Gaulle. "[26], In Paris, she became an instant success for her erotic dancing, and for appearing practically nude onstage. Baker was billed at the time as "the highest-paid chorus girl in vaudeville.

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