简介：byFrankPowers EdithWilsonbelongstothatfirstgroupofAfricanAmericanwomenreferredtoasvaudevilleorcabaretbluessingersthatintheearly'20sfollowedMamieSmithintotherecordingstudios.Wilson'srecordingcareerstartedwithColumbiain1921withaccompanimentsprovidedbytrumpeterJohnnyDunn'sJazzHounds. ShewasbornEdithGoodalltoamiddleclassblackfamilyinLouisville,KY,onSeptember2,1896.Herbirthdateisoftenstatedastenyearslater,butthiswasduetovanity.HerancestorsincludedanAmericanVicePresident,JohnC.Breckenridge,andawomanwhowasthemodelfortheLizacharacterinHarrietBeecherStowe'snovelUncleTom'sCabin. EdithWilsonenteredshowbusinessin1919attheParkTheaterinLouisville.ShortlyafterwardsshejoinedbluessingerLenaWilsonandherpianistbrotherDannywhentheyperformedinLouisville.EdithandDannyWilsonweremarriedandthethreeformedanact.TheyopenedinBaltimoretosuccessandplayedlocationsontheEastCoast.WhentheyencounteredtalentscoutPerryBradfordinNewYork,whohadbroughtMamieSmithtoOkehRecords,EdithWilsonwasintroducedtoColumbiaRecordswhereshewaspairedwithJohnnyDunn'sJazzHoundsforaseriesof17recordingsmadein1921and1922.EdithWilsonwouldmakefewrecordingsinsubsequentyearsuntilshemadehercomebackinthe1970s. WhileworkingattheClubAlabaminNewYorkin1924,EdithWilsonwascaughtupinadisputebetweentheFletcherHendersonOrchestraandtheclubmanagers.TheywantedtenorsaxophonistColemanHawkinstoappearonstagewithEdithWilson.Hawkinswasperfectlywillingtoobligebutaskedforextracompensation,whichwasrefused.EdithWilsononcerecalled,"IwastocomeoutonstagecarryingHawk'ssaxophoneandsingasongcalled"Nobody'sUsedItSinceYou'veBeenGone"andthenI'dgivehimbackhishornandhe'dplay."It'snotcertainifthisincidentledtotheHendersonband'sdeparturefromtheClubAlabamrightaway,butsoontheorchestrawashiredbytheRoselandBallroom. EdithWilsonneverreallywasabluessingerinthesenseofBessieSmithorMaRainey.Hercareerwouldbespentperformingontheaterstagesandinnightclubs.ShebecameamajorstarintheNewYorkblackentertainmentworld.Shewasamember,withthefamousFlorenceMills,of"LewLeslie'sPlantationReview"attheLafayetteTheaterinHarlem.Inthemidtolate'20s,EdithWilsonwasinEnglandwhereshewouldestablishherselfasaninternationalstar.ShewouldreturntoEnglandmanytimesoverthecourseoffollowingdecades.Later,inNewYork,EdithWilsonappearedinthefamousrevueHotChocolates,wheresheintroducedtheFatsWaller/AndyRazaftune"WhatDidIDotoBeSoBlackandBlue."LouisArmstrongalsoappearedontheshowwithFatsWallerandWilson;thethreewerebilledas"TheThousandPoundsofHarmony."EdithWilsonwouldappearwithallthegreatestnamesinblackshowbusinessoftheday,includingBillRobinson,DukeEllington,AlbertaHunter,CabCalloway,NobleSissle,andmanyothers. EdithWilsonwasalsoarecognizedactress,appearinginnonsingingrolesonradioshowslikeAmosandAndyandintheHumphreyBogart/LaurenBacallclassicfilmToHaveandHaveNot.Shewasalsoactiveinearlynetworktelevision.Around1950,EdithWilsonassumedthecharacterofAuntJemima,promotingthepancakemixfortheQuakerOatsCompany.SomecriticizedWilsonforplayingablackstereotype,butsherefusedtobeintimidatedandwasproudofwhatsheconsideredtheauraofdignityshebroughttothecharacter. EdithWilsonretiredfromshowbusinessin1963toworkasanexecutivesecretarywithNegroActorsGuildandtoinvolveherselfwithothercharitable,religious,andliteraryactivities.Shereturnedfromretirementin1973,performingandrecordingwithvariousartistssuchasEubieBlake,LittleBrotherMontgomery,andTerryWaldo'sGutbucketSyncopators.EdithWilson'slastappearancewasattheNewportJazzFestivalin1980.