The Pearl Bailey House

This is the site where the actress and singer Pearl Bailey began her career. Bailey was born in 1918 and died in 1990. She was born in Virginia, but moved here with her mother and stepfather in the early 1930s. To summarize Pearl Bailey in one sentence, she was a social and political activist, author of six books, wife and mother, and, most notably, a singer and actress. Read on to learn more about her personal life, career, accomplishments/awards, and, finally, her legacy.

Personal Life

Pearl Mae Bailey was born on March 29, 1918, in Newport New, Virginia. She was the daughter of Reverend Joseph James Bailey and Ella Mae Bailey [1]. She had two sisters (Virgie and Eura) and a brother (Willie). Her brother also had a career in entertainment as a tap dancer [2]. Bailey was the youngest child [5]. Bailey attributed her vocal talents to the countless Sundays spent singing at church with her family [1]. Bailey’s parents divorced when she was 4 years old and Bailey began to spend time with her mother in Philadelphia, until she permanently moved there. Bailey was married 4 or 5 times. Her first marriage was to a musician and it lasted 18 months. Her last marriage was to Louis Bellson, a jazz drummer. The interracial couple remained married for 40 years until they passed, and they adopted two kids throughout that time [9]. As an adult, Bailey decided to enroll as a student at Georgetown University. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theology at the age of 67. At the time, she was the oldest member of the class of 1985. While completing her degree, Bailey was closely covered by student reports. Mundane things such as course selection and GPA were considered newsworthy [4].

Career

Bailey originally wanted to be a teacher. She left that idea and dropped out of high school in Philadelphia at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a singer and dancer [5]. She started by performing in cafés, nightclubs, and theaters in northeastern American cities. She started to become increasingly popular as she performed with big bands such as Cootie Williams, Count Basie, and Cab Calloway [1]. Calloway was a bandleader and she performed with him at the Strand Theatre [9]. She also went on to accompany him on a 17-week tour [6]. Her first Broadway musical was St. Louis Women (1945) and her first film was Variety Girl (1947) [1]. Her other films included Carmen Jones (1954), Porgy and Bess (1959), and All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) [1]. Bailey’s most notable stage role was as matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi in an all-Black production of the musical Hello, Dolly! The musical began on Broadway from 1967 to 1969. It then went on tour in the United States and Canada [1]. Bailey wrote six books, three of them memoirs [2]. Some of her books include The Raw Pearl (1968), Talking to Myself (1971), Pearl's Kitchen (1973), and Hurry Up, America, and Spit (1976). One of the last books she wrote was Between You and Me (1989) and it details her experiences with education [1]. For a short time, Bailey hosted her own TV show, The Pearl Bailey Show [1]. Some of Bailey’s best-known songs include Tired, Two to Tango, and From Mouton to Muskrat to Mink [6].

Accomplishments and Awards

Bailey won the Tony Award for her performance in Hello, Dolly! This is the highest honor in theater [1]. Bailey was appointed a special ambassador to the United Nations in 1975 by President Gerald Ford [1]. Bailey received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 from President Ronald Reagan [1]. She was appointed "ambassador of love" by President Richard Nixon in 1970 [2]. Bailey won the USO Woman of the Year award in 1968 [7].

Legacy

Pearl Bailey died on August 17, 1990, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 72 [1]. She died in Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to which she was admitted 30 minutes before her death, complaining that she was not feeling well [8]. She passed away from a heart attack after struggling with heart issues for over three decades [3]. Her last major performance was at the New York Jazz Festival in Avery Fisher Hall on June 28, 1990 [8]. Bailey had an amazing personality, and she was filled with charisma. She was known for her unique delivery during performances that included ad-libbing and bantering back and forth with the audience [3]. Bailey was a humanitarian and regularly spoke out to support the oppressed and disenfranchised [5]. She was a social and political activist [8]. Bailey had an incredible career that lasted 50 years [2]. She was filled with warm-hearted spontaneity and infectious enthusiasm [3]. She excelled at singing and theater performances. It is clear that she was loved by many as over 2000 people attended her funeral [2].

[1] Tikkanen, Amy. Pearl Bailey, Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pearl-Bailey. .

[2] Pearl Bailey, New World Encyclopedia. Accessed December 7th 2021. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pearl_Bailey. .

[3] Weil, Martin. "Legendary Entertainer Pearl Bailey Dies at 72." The Washington Post August 18th 1990. .

[4] And When She Danced Her Way across these Grounds: Pearl Bailey at Georgetown Universty. Georgetown University Library.

[5] Pearl Bailey Papers. African American Museum in Philadelphia. Published April 28th 2014.

[6] Obituary. The Black Perspective in Music, vol. 18, no. 1/2215 - 215.

[7] "Pearl Bailey is Named USO 'Woman of the Year'." The Afro American February 8th 1968. .

[8] Oliver, Myrna. "From the Archives: Entertainer Pearl Bailey, Enduring Star, Dies at 72." Los Angeles Times August 18th 1990. .

[9] Pennsylvania Biographical Dictionary. Somerset Publishers.