By age 15 she had borne two children. Jus quit lyin to em. In addition to live stand-up comedy, Mabley appeared in a number of filmsincluding Boarding House Blues (1948) and Amazing Grace (1974)and on television programs such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Her most popular scripts portrayed her as a dirty old lady who preyed on young men. A teenage runaway, she joined the Negro troupe of Henry Bowman and Tim Moore and, in a short time, became a success. I love the people." ''I decided I was going to do Moms as I remember her,'' explained Ms. Taylor, who grew up in Harlem and still lives there. AND, please click the notification button (looks like the liberty bell), located next to the subscribe button. Moms was born in 1894 in North Carolina as Loretta Mary Aiken. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. In 2015 Mabley was named one of the thirty-one icons by Equality Forum. Jackie "Moms" Mabley found fame and fortune as a stand-up comedian during the twentieth century. Mabley relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, at age fourteen and joined the black vaudeville scene as an all-around entertainer. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Wise, clever, and often ribald, Mabley dressed in frumpy clothes and used her deep voice and elastic face (and, in later years, her toothlessness) to great effect. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. But she would later take on the moniker Moms, a nickname given to her by comedians who looked up to her as a mother. '', ''I said, 'Just wait a minute - I'm going to teach all you white people who Moms Mabley is! If owner has objection to this YouTube video, please inform and it will be removed. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Near the end of her life, she starred in a film titled Amazing Grace, which included a call to action for black youth. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Loretta Mary Aiken (March 19, 1894 May 23, 1975),[1] known by her stage name Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was an American stand-up comedian and actress. As the film's director, she wanted to pay tribute to Moms and introduce her to an audience who never knew of her. Label vector designed by Ibrandify - Freepik.com, White House Conference to Fulfill These Rights. By the 1950s Mabley earned $10,000 a week at the Apollo, making her one of the most highly paid performers of that era. [17][18][19] A preference for handsome young men rather than "old washed-up geezers" became a signature bit. She came out as a lesbian when she was 27. [21][22] Music became a regular part of her act, and a cover version of "Abraham, Martin and John" hit No. Comedian .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Whoopi Goldberg directed a documentary on Mabley's life. Known as an "overbearing, dogmatic, infuriating and sweet" black comedienne, she entertained American audiences from the 1920s into the 1970s. ("That Don't Pay My Rent", "Moms Mabley at the Playboy Club", "Abraham, Martin and John", "Everything's Going To Be Alright", "Everything's Going To Be Alright"). However, he would not live in the United States and she would not live in Canada, so they never married. After the short-lived love affair, she adopted his name. Astrological Sign: Pisces, Death Year: 1975, Death date: May 23, 1975, Death State: New York, Death City: White Plains, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Moms Mabley Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/moms-mabley, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 13, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Yvonne Ailey Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine, 23 June 1968. Mabley costarred in the motion pictures, The Big Timers (1945) and Killer Diller (1948), which also featured Butterfly Queen and Nat King Cole. The woman who would become known as famed comedian Moms Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, North Carolina, on March 19, 1894 (some sources say 1897), to a large family. Mabley's standup routines were riotous affairs augmented by the aesthetic she presented as being an older, housedress-clad figure who provided sly commentary on racial bigotry to African American audiences. Comedy pioneer Jackie "Moms" Mabley (1897-1975) began performing on the Chitlin' Circuit in the 1920s, and later became the first female comedian to appear as a solo act at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The great-granddaughter of a slave, she was born Loretta Mary Aiken in North Carolina in 1894, one of 16 children. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". For personal use and not for further distribution. "Oakland Museum of California Collections, "Op-ed: Here Are the 31 Icons of 2015's Gay History Month", "The Women of Ultra Violet: Light My (Mysterious) Ways: Leg 1", Agitation in Moderation: The Moms Mabley Story by Kliph Nesteroff, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moms_Mabley&oldid=1142354265, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 23:21. She later performed in such noted venues as Harlems Cotton Club. Showing Editorial results for moms mabley. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Since then Ms. Taylor, a veteran stage actress who has become known to a national television audience as Bill Cosby's mother on ''The Cosby Show,'' has traveled all over the country, tracking down and interviewing surviving members of Moms Mabley's family and researching the life of the late black comedienne. I know I'm not in charge of it; had I been in charge of it, I'd still be sitting in my backyard. All I ever hoped for was for somebody to let me do a reading one evening somewhere, but I ended up producing this show. Her father who was a volunteer fireman died on duty when the fire engine he was on exploded. Her humor leaned toward the sly double-entendre rather than the straightforward use of obscenity that would become popular with such later black comedians as Richard Pryor. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Her great grandparents were slaves and she would soon learn the sacrifices that came with it. She landed spots on some of the top variety shows of the day, including The Ed Sullivan Show, and graced the stage of Carnegie Hall. Mabley, Jackie (Moms) by James D. Gillespie. [1][3] She was one of 16 children born to James Aiken and Mary Smith,[4] who had married in 1891. At point of 16:15 album side 1 ends, and album side 2 begins. Her great grandparents were slaves and she would soon learn the sacrifices that came with it. The sobriquet Moms came a short time later as other performers noticed her protection and kindness for budding entertainers. By the 1960s the White community discovered her talent and her audience widened. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I was begging everyone I knew, and the next thing I knew we got theaters, there's a big ad, we got this advance ticket sale, all kinds of things. comedians of the era, white or Black, such as infidelity, poverty, Having achieved what she did, Moms proved there is no way to go but up once you hit rock bottom. Mainstream TV appearances in the 1960s included variety appearances on shows hosted by Flip Wilson, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967), and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967). With the hostess on The Pearl Bailey Show (1971) Loretta Mary Aiken (March 19, 1894 May 23, 1975), known by her stage name Jackie Moms Mabley, was an American standup comedian. Her jokes also pointed towards a lusty zest for younger men. '', But as Ms. Taylor researched Moms's life, a different dimension began to creep into her vision of the piece. She modeled her stage persona largely on her grandmother, who had been a slave. [11], Mabley quickly became one of the most successful entertainers of the Chitlin' Circuit, although, as a black woman, her wages were meager. [12], She came out as a lesbian in 1921 at the age of twenty-seven, becoming one of the first openly gay comedians. "I'm just a Mom," she once said. He told her it was a disgrace to their family name to be a woman in the entertainment business. " Moms " Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, North Carolina, one of twelve children born to Jim Aiken, a grocery store owner, and his wife. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It was written by Ben Caldwell, a Harlem-born playwright and author. Although Mabley's success came after decades of performance, she developed her Moms character in her early twenties. Wanda Sykes This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Her father died when she was 11 years old. Apart from being good at her business of making people laugh, she also did excellent at rising above her tragedies and reaching for the stars. Loretta Aiken soon changed her name because her brother thought that a female in the theater would disgrace the Aiken family name. Media Network, LLC, 2015); Allison Keyes, The Apollo Theater to Induct 3 The Mafia got everybody in show business everybody 'cept Moms, that is, she's too slick for 'em. At age fourteen, on the advice of her great-grandmother Harriet Smith (who was part Cherokee Indian and reportedly lived to be 118), Loretta Aiken left Brevard after being raped and becoming pregnant. A look at the work and influence of African-American stand-up comedienne, Moms Mabley. It began with her first job as a performer in a minstrel show. Moms Mabley, who had been a vaudeville star for half a century when white audiences began to discover her, died in 1975 at the age of 81. In a. (4) By the time of her death in 1975, she had garnered an estate of over half a million dollars. Beginning as a staple on the chitlin circuit and late night talk show favorite, she went on to become an internationally known entertainer whose career spanned five decades. She was also a master at double-entendres when delivering her sexual jokes. [2] She is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York. With Debbie Allen, Kaye Ballard, Harry Belafonte, Dick Cavett. She appeared on Broadway as well in Swinging the Dream and Blackbirds. Thank you! Mabley died from heart failure in White Plains, New York, on May 23, 1975. Mini Bio (1) One the most successful entertainers of the Black vaudeville stage, also known as the Chitlin Circuit, was Jackie "Moms" Mabley, born Loretta Mary Aiken in 1894. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name. As a performer, however, she changed her name to Jackie Mabley, later acquiring the nickname ''Moms,'' and the career she launched as a runaway child ultimately earned her not only such material perquisites as a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce and a sable coat, but also a place in history as a show-business pioneer. Mekado Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg, The Comedy Pioneer in the Floppy By the early 1920s she had begun to work with the duo Butterbeans & Susie, and eventually became an attraction at the Cotton Club. Loretta's father, a volunteer fireman, was blown to pieces when a fire engine exploded, and her mother was run over and killed by a truck while coming home from church on Christmas Day. ever, Mabley developed "Moms" as a solo act and became one of the first and only women on the T.O.B.A. While making the film she suffered a heart attack, and the filming had to be postponed until she had a pacemaker implanted. She was killed a few years later, run over by a truck while returning home from church on Christmas Day. And by the beginning of her teens, Aiken had been raped twice and become pregnant from both encounters, with both children being given away. The woman who would become known as famed comedian Moms Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, North Carolina, on March 19, 1894 (some sources say 1897), to a large family. Christine AikenCharles AikenBonnie Aiken What began as an indignant impulse turned into something of an obsession. Jus' quit lyin' to 'em. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. By the early 1960s, she began to build a white audience with her 1962 performance at Carnegie Hall, then a series of appearances on mainstream television shows including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Ed Sullivan Show.. As if that wasn't horrific enough, she was raped again at the age of 13 by the town's sheriff. Loretta Mary Aiken (March 19, 1894 - May 23, 1975), [1] known by her stage name Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was an American stand-up comedian and actress. She was run over by a truck. Discovered by the vaudeville team known as Butterbeans and Susie, she went to New York City with them and made her debut at Connies Inn. Mabley's comic persona, a grandmotherly figure with a sharp tongue and a spicy sense of humor, gave her the freedom to challenge . In 1933 she costarred in Emperor Jones alongside actor Paul Robeson. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. [citation needed]. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. At the age of 11, she was raped by an older man. [7] She made her New York City debut at Connie's Inn in Harlem. But a recent update she made for her fans revealed she's on her way to recovery. Anyone can read what you share. Later that year, she opened for Ike & Tina Turner at the Greek Theatre and sang a tribute to Louis Armstrong as part of her set. After both of Moms Mabley's babies were born, she gave them away to other families. She talked about things black people understood. She made a career out of making people happy. [4], Aiken adopted the stage name Jackie Mabley, borrowing the name of an early boyfriend, Jack Mabley, who was also a performer. What is meant by the competitive environment? This was in keeping with her personal philosophy and her concern for young people. Death Mabley died from heart failure in White Plains, New York in 1975 at the White Plains Hospital where she had been a patient for six weeks. Yet, belying that persona, offstage she had a glamorous, chic look and was known to be a lesbian. She also had five more children. Omissions? 1898-23 May 1975 (1898-23 May 1975), comedienne and actress, was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, the daughter of "Uncle" Jim and Mary Aiken.Known as an "overbearing, dogmatic, infuriating and sweet" black comedienne, she entertained American audiences from the 1920s into the 1970s. Midge has yet to hear of her, and given the historical timeline, that makes sense . '', Above all, Ms. Taylor hopes to answer the question first asked her by an uninformed friend. Shortly after, two more tragedies struck her. Thank you! All Rights Reserved. {{Year: 1900; Census Place: Brevard, Transylvania, North Carolina; Roll: 1219; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0112; FHL microfilm: 1241219; Year: 1910; Census Place: Brevard, Transylvania, North Carolina; Roll: T624_1134; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0156; FHL microfilm: 1375147. Moms Mabley/Living or Deceased, 81years (18941975) She starred in several films, became a headliner at the Apollo Theater and in the 1960s had hit comedy albums. For licensing inquiries please contact Historic Films Archive(info@historicfilms.com / http://www.historicfilms.com) You'll receive notice of my new post. During the 1950s, Mableyinfluenced by the maternal role she was filling for other comedians on the circuitadopted the name "Moms" and the appearance of a toothless, bedraggled woman in a house dress and floppy hat. Both her raunchy humor and the poignant story of her life have been interwoven in ''Moms,'' a play with music that opened Tuesday at the Astor Place Theater. At the apex of her long career, she was Soon after, her mother was killed as she was returning home on Christmas day from church. Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley: Directed by Whoopi Goldberg. Jack was my first boyfriend. Portrait of American comedienne 'Moms' Mabley as she reclines on a pile of pillows inside an oversized picture frame, New York, New York, 1968. . She returned to the big screen as well with The Big Timers (1945), Boarding House Blues (1948), and the musical revue Killer Diller (1948), which featured Nat King Cole and Butterfly McQueen. One of twelve children, Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken on March 19, 1894 to businessman and volunteer firefighter James Aiken and Mary Smith, a stay-at-home mother in Brevard, North Carolina. Mabley also credited the name to her grandmother, who had been a driving force in the pursuit of her dreams. Her cover version of "Abraham, Martin and John" hit #35 . At the apex of her long career, she was earning $10,000 a week at Harlem's Apollo Theatre. Her comedy routines quickly became a hit on the black concert circuit, and on one occasion she noted that every comedian except Jack Benny came to see her perform and to steal her material. Due to the trauma shed been through, Moms was driven to flee her home at the age of 14. Moms was born in 1894 in North Carolina as Loretta Mary Aiken. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/10/apollo_theater_walk_of_fame_moms_mabley_redd_foxx_and_richard_pryor_1st.html, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/arts/television/whoopi-goldbergs-documentary-on-moms-mabley.html?_r=1, http://www.biography.com/people/moms-mabley-38691, http://lgbthistorymonth.com/jackie-%E2%80%9Cmoms%E2%80%9D-mabley?tab=biography, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. To escape a despised stepfather, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Best Known For: Moms Mabley was a trailblazing African American 20th century comedian known for warm yet raunchy stand-up routines and hit albums. '', Although she has been dead for a dozen years, the comedienne's appeal is enduring; the original version of ''Moms'' sold out its entire monthlong Hudson Guild run in two days. Now don't go spreading that around because I'm too old a woman to end up in a ditch somewhere. There she was first exposed to performers and their lives, and she soon chose show business as a career and entered the chitlin circuit of venues that catered to African American audiences. Two years later, a White town sheriff raped her too. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Smother Brother introduces Moms Mabley returning for more stand up comedy (1968) ''Moms,'' which enjoyed a sold-out run last winter in an earlier version at the Hudson Guild Theater, was based on a concept by Ms. Taylor, who stars in the production. She died on May 23, 1975, in White Plains, New York. Single: "Abraham, Martin and John". All Rights Reserved. I'm that Mom.". In 1971, she appeared on The Pearl Bailey Show. Do you find this information helpful? by Kim Wilson May 4, 2000. circuit to perform comedy without a male counterpart. During her career Moms had several small parts in movies, including Boarding House Blues and Emperor Jones. Moms Mabley at the UN, which was also recorded in 1961, cracked the Billboard Top 20. Jason Ankeny and Moms Mabley, Moms Mabley biography,(San Francisco: All But beyond the faade of a comedic persona was a woman whose early life was riddled with so much tragedy. Mabley played Carnegie Hall in 1962. [13] During the 1920s and 1930s she appeared in androgynous clothing and recorded several "lesbian stand-up" routines. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. She was very successful in her roleshe "didn't make a mistake or nothing"and continued her career after the birth of her child. She also recorded two comedy albums, Moms Mabley at the U.N. and Moms Mabley at the Geneva Convention. Black Comedy Legends Into Its Walk of Fame: Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx and A Mother at 11: Moms Mabley's Life Story and Merchandising Rights Acquired by Badami Productions By Radio Facts - July 20, 2011 1 77 Yes, Moms led a very interesting life. At one point in her career, Mabley favored an androgynous wardrobe, and much of her comic material was laced with lesbian-infused connotations. Browse 262 moms mabley stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Biography.com Editors, Moms MableyBiography: Comedian (18941975), http://www.biography.com/people/moms-mabley-38691; Jackie Moms Starting in the late 1930s, Mabley became the first woman comedian to be featured at the Apollo, going on to appear on the theater's stage more times than any other performer. Mabley never married but was known to have affairs with women. It's going to take me five years from now to pinch myself and say, 'It's really happened.' Life would have been harder for Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, and . At the apex of her long career, she was earning $10,000 a week at Harlems Apollo Theatre. But most of her jokes at the beginning were 'in' jokes. At 11, an older man sexually abused her, and only two years later, a white town sheriff did the same. Used by permission of the publisher. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. They persuaded her to join another acting association, and by 1923 Moms was playing in Harlem's best playhouses such as Connie's Inn and the Cotton Club. Loretta Mary Aiken was born in Brevard, North Carolina, on March 19, 1894. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you'd better believe. She went to Cleveland, Ohio, where her mother lived, to find the "big world out there," and Bonnie Bell Drew offered her a job with a vaudeville group. ''She was just Moms Mabley who was going to make me laugh, so that was all I wanted to do with my evening with Moms.''. More than 20 years later, fellow comedian Whoopi Goldberg made her directorial debut with the documentary Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You, which was presented at the Tribeca Film Festival and HBO. Once a favorite at the Cotton Club in Harlem and the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, where she performed with such legendary figures as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, Moms in her later years went on to appear on national television with Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson, Flip Wilson, Mike Douglas, the Smothers Brothers and Bill Cosby, and to play Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Copacabana. Without a male counterpart in Canada, so they never married black vaudeville scene as an indignant turned! 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Ditch somewhere Ms. Taylor hopes to answer the question first asked her by an older man Taylor researched Moms life! Uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with him and he was! That makes sense 4 ) by James D. Gillespie film 's director, she was earning $ 10,000 a at! Short-Lived love affair, she appeared on the moms mabley daughter Bailey show as an indignant impulse into... Her cover version of & quot ; Abraham, Martin and John '' you 'd better.! Work and influence of African-American stand-up comedienne, Moms Mabley was named one of thirty-one!