Eloise C. Uggams Explained
| Eloise C. Uggams |
| Birth Date: | December 20, 1896 |
| Birth Place: | Florida or South Carolina, US |
| Death Date: | July 14, 1972 |
| Death Place: | New York, US |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Known For: | Member of Fisk Jubilee Singers, Broadway appearances |
| Relatives: | Leslie Uggams (niece) |
Eloise Colcolough Uggams (December 20, 1896 – July 14, 1972) was an American soprano singer. She was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and appeared in Broadway musicals.
Early life
Uggams was born in Florida or South Carolina (sources vary on the location), the daughter of Coyden Harold Uggams and Mamie Hughes Uggams. Her father was a Presbyterian minister.[1] She attended Fisk University.[2] She gave her senior recital in 1919.[3]
Career
Uggams sang and toured with the Fisk Jubilee Quartet with Henrietta Myers in 1918 and 1919.[4] [5] Broadway appearances by Uggams included roles in Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1928 (1928-1929, 1934),[6] [7] and Rhapsody in Black (1931),[8] The Pirate (1942-1943), Run, Little Chillun (1943), and Porgy and Bess (1943, 1944, and 1953).[9] She was also in the European touring company of Porgy and Bess, with Leontyne Price, William Warfield, Cab Calloway, and a young Maya Angelou.[10] She made recordings of spirituals with Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers in 1924,[11] and with the Everyman Opera of New York in 1953.[12]
Uggams was also a dressmaker, and worked for Oleg Cassini, including on the wedding gown worn by actress Gene Tierney in 1941.[13] During World War II, she toured in the United States with the USO, and after the war, she toured as a soloist with the Eva Jessye Choir.[14]
Personal life
Uggams helped her niece, actress and singer Leslie Uggams, attend Professional Children's School in New York. "We never would have been able to afford the school if it weren't for Aunt Eloise," recalled the younger Uggams.[15] Eloise Uggams died in 1972, aged 75 years, in New York.[16]
External links
Notes and References
- News: Loomis. Charlie. 1971-08-09. Noted Singer Visits Jarvis. 1. Tyler Morning Telegraph. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
- November 1918. Significance of Jubilee Day. Fisk University News. 9. 11, 25. Internet Archive.
- May 1920. Miss Uggams' Song Recital. The Fisk University News. 10. 17. Internet Archive.
- May 1919. Fisk Folk Enliven Armstrong Rally. The Fisk University News. 9. 15. Internet Archive.
- June 1919. Fisk University Jubilee Singers Continue to Give Satisfaction. The Fisk University News. 9. 46. Internet Archive.
- News: 1928-05-19. Blackbirds of 1928 (advertisement). 6. The New York Age. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
- Book: Dietz, Dan. The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals. 2018-03-29. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-1-5381-0277-0. 116, 302–303. en.
- News: Werner. Ludlow W.. 1931-05-16. 'Rhapsody in Black' Opens on Broadway; Ethel Waters Stars. 6. The New York Age. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
- Web site: Celebrating Black History Month: Leslie Uggams Honors Her Aunt Eloise Uggams, Ethel Waters & More Broadway Role Models. 2021-02-16. Broadway.com. en.
- Book: Angelou, Maya. Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas. 2009. Random House. 978-0-8129-8031-8. 175. en.
- Web site: Uggams, Eloise. 2021-02-16. Discography of American Historical Recordings.
- Web site: Eloise Uggams. 2021-02-16. Discogs. en.
- News: 1953-08-30. Some of the Stars of the Broadway Hit, 'Porgy and Bess'. 90. The Times Dispatch. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
- News: 1949-03-22. Jessye Choir Wins Applause. 15. The Wilkes-Barre Record. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
- Web site: April 2004. Guideposts Classics: Leslie Uggams on Lending a Helping Hand. live. 2021-02-16. Guideposts. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210414191907/https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/guideposts-classics-leslie-uggams-on-lending-a-helping . 2021-04-14 .
- News: 1972-07-16. Eloise Uggams. 118. Daily News. 2021-02-16. Newspapers.com.
