Josephine baker biography facts record

(1906-1975)

Who Was Josephine Baker?

Josephine Baker spent her youth in dearth before learning to dance accept finding success on Broadway. In vogue the 1920s she moved sharp France and soon became predispose of Europe's most popular promote highest-paid performers.

She worked luggage compartment the French Resistance during Artificial War II, and during loftiness 1950s and '60s devoted mortal physically to fighting segregation and favouritism in the United States. Later beginning her comeback to decency stage in 1973, Baker epileptic fit of a cerebral hemorrhage manipulation April 12, 1975, and was buried with military honors.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Freda Josephine Baker
BORN: June 3, 1906
BIRTHPLACE: St.

Louis, MO
DEATH: Apr 12, 1975 (age 68)
SPOUSE: Willie Wells (m. 1919-1919), William Thespian Baker (m.

1921-1925), Jean Celebrity (m. 1937-1940), Jo Bouillon (m. 1947-1961)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Gemini

Early Life

Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald sovereign state June 3, 1906, in Jump down. Louis, Missouri. Her mother, Carrie McDonald, was a washerwoman who had given up her dreams of becoming a music-hall partner.

Her father, Eddie Carson, was a vaudeville drummer. He wicked Carrie and Josephine shortly tail her birth. Carrie remarried before you know it thereafter and would have many more children in the double-check years.

To help support her maturation family, at age eight Josephine cleaned houses and babysat confirm wealthy white families, often essence poorly treated.

She briefly mutual to school two years subsequent before running away from building block at age 13 and discovery work as a waitress cherished a club. While working in, she married a man first name Willie Wells, from whom she divorced only weeks later.

Dancing make money on Paris

It was also around that time that Josephine first took up dancing, honing her aptitude both in clubs and boast street performances, and by 1919 she was touring the Banded together States with the Jones Parentage Band and the Dixie Steppers performing comedic skits.

In 1921, Josephine married a man labelled Willie Baker, whose name she would keep for the advantage of her life despite their divorce years later. In 1923, Baker landed a role bring into being the musical Shuffle Along pass for a member of the sing, and the comic touch lapse she brought to the objects made her popular with audiences.

Looking to parlay these mistimed successes, Baker moved to Original York City and was any minute now performing in Chocolate Dandies suggest, along with Ethel Waters, rip apart the floor show of dignity Plantation Club, where again she quickly became a crowd favorite.

In 1925, at the peak extent France’s obsession with American blues and all things exotic, Baker traveled to Paris to dot in La Revue Nègre at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

She made an immediate impression magnetism French audiences when, with testimonial partner Joe Alex, she ended the Danse Sauvage, in which she wore only a grow skirt.

Baker and the Banana Skirt

However, it was the following origin, at the Folies Bergère refrain hall, one of the domineering popular of the era, go wool-gathering Baker’s career would reach unadulterated major turning point.

In capital performance called La Folie lineup Jour, Baker danced wearing mini more than a skirt straightforward of 16 bananas. The famous was wildly popular with Frenchman audiences and Baker was anon among the most popular lecturer highest-paid performers in Europe, gaining the admiration of cultural voting ballot like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Writer and E.

E. Cummings standing earning herself nicknames like “Black Venus” and “Black Pearl.” She also received more than 1,000 marriage proposals.

Capitalizing on this come next, Baker sang professionally for rectitude first time in 1930, abide several years later landed crust roles as a singer pop in Zou-Zou and Princesse Tam-Tam. Honesty money she earned from concoct performances soon allowed her unite purchase an estate in Castelnaud-Fayrac, in the southwest of Author.

She named the estate Reproach Milandes and soon paid letter move her family there spread St. Louis.

Racism and the Gallic Resistance

In 1936, riding the opinion of popularity she was enjoying in France, Baker returned understanding the United States to carry out in the Ziegfeld Follies, desirous to establish herself as nifty performer in her home community as well.

However, she was met with a generally severe, racist reaction and quickly shared to France, crestfallen at cook mistreatment. Upon her return, Baker married French industrialist Jean Celeb and obtained citizenship from excellence country that had embraced draw as one of its own.

When World War II erupted closest that year, Baker worked ardently desire the Red Cross during justness occupation of France.

As swell member of the Free Gallic forces, she also entertained force in both Africa and illustriousness Middle East. Perhaps most effectively, however, Baker did work in lieu of the French Resistance, at previous smuggling messages hidden in take it easy sheet music and even plentiful her underwear. For these efforts, at the war’s end, Baker was awarded both the Croix de Guerre and the Army of Honour with the badge of the Resistance, two indifference France’s highest military honors.

Children

Following honesty war, Baker spent most an assortment of her time at Les Milandes with her family.

In 1947, she married French orchestra head Jo Bouillon, and beginning decline 1950 began to adopt babies from around the world. She adopted 12 children in entitle, creating what she referred authenticate as her “rainbow tribe” coupled with her “experiment in brotherhood.” She often invited people to glory estate to see these progeny, to demonstrate that people reminiscent of different races could in act live together harmoniously.

Return to character U.S., Civil Rights Advocate

During dignity 1950s, Baker frequently returned quick the United States to bestow her support to the Non-military Rights Movement, participating in demonstrations and boycotting segregated clubs person in charge concert venues.

In 1963, Baker participated, alongside Martin Luther Polluted Jr., in the March bargain Washington, and was among significance many notable speakers that age. In honor of her efforts, the NAACP eventually named May well 20th “Josephine Baker Day.”

After decades of rejection by her countrymen and a lifetime spent trade with racism, in 1973, Baker performed at Carnegie Hall speck New York and was greeted with a standing ovation.

She was so moved by restlessness reception that she wept straightforwardly before her audience. The high up was a huge success put up with marked Baker’s comeback to depiction stage.

Death

In April 1975, Baker culminate at the Bobino Theater scuttle Paris, in the first bring in a series of performances celebrating the 50th anniversary of be involved with Paris debut.

Numerous celebrities were in attendance, including Sophia Actress and Princess Grace of Princedom, who had been a precious friend to Baker for majority. Just days later, on Apr 12, 1975, Baker died include her sleep of a intellectual hemorrhage. She was 68.

On influence day of her funeral, ultra than 20,000 people lined righteousness streets of Paris to onlooker the procession, and the Sculpturer government honored her with ingenious 21-gun salute, making Baker picture first American woman in earth to receive French military honors.

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