Mable Lee

Mable Lee (born August 2, 1921) is an American jazz tap dancer, singer, and entertainer. She has been performing since the age of four, appearing on Broadway, at the Apollo Theater, and in numerous other shows.^[1]

Biography

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Rosella Moore and Alton Lee, Mable Lee was a child prodigy who began performing when she was four years old, at nine years of age was performing in local clubs with a big band and as a 12-year-old was appearing at the Top Hat nightclub in Georgia.^[1] She moved to New York City in 1940 to pursue a career as a singer and dancer, and soon joined the chorus of the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She subsequently worked at various nightclubs, before going to London, where she spent 18 months and performed at the Palladium.^[1]

During World War II, she toured with the USO as a member of their first all-black unit. Known as the "Queen of the Soundies" for her dancing in the short musical films, Lee was featured on the cover of Ebony magazine for March 1947.^[2] She also has appeared on Broadway in multiple productions, including the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along.^[3]

Mable is the 2004 winner of the Flo-Bert Award honoring "outstanding figures in the field of tap dance",^[4] and a 2008 Inductee into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame.^[1]

References