Mable Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mable Lee
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Lee c. 1945.
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| Born | August 2, 1921 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Died | February 7, 2019 (aged 97) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Years active | 1934–2018 |
Mable Lee (born August 2, 1921, died February 7, 2019) was an amazing American jazz tap dancer, singer, and entertainer. She was also known as "Queen of the Soundies" because she appeared in so many of these short musical films. Mable Lee performed on famous stages like Broadway and the Apollo Theater.
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Early Life and Talent
Mable Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents were Rosella Moore and Alton Lee. Mable was a child prodigy, meaning she was very talented from a young age. She started performing when she was only 4 years old.
By age 9, she was performing in local clubs with a big band. When she was 12, she even appeared at the Top Hat nightclub in Georgia. Her parents were not performers, but they loved to sing and dance at home.
School Performances
Even in grade school, Mable loved to entertain. She asked her principal if she could use the assembly room for shows. She would put up posters and make programs for her performances. Her teachers knew about her talent early on. She often sang and danced for them.
Her high school music teacher was Graham W. Jackson Sr.. He was so impressed by her skills. He took her to perform at different events. One special performance was for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She danced for him at his vacation home in White Plains, Georgia.
Mable's mother and aunt always supported her dreams. They went with her to every show when she was growing up. The famous Whitman Sisters noticed Mable when she performed at Top Hat. But her mother wanted her to finish high school first.
Becoming a Star
In 1940, Mable moved to New York City with her mother. She wanted to become a professional singer and dancer. Soon, she joined the chorus at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She also did acrobatics with a chair, which was her special act.
She performed in vaudeville shows and nightclubs at the same time. She auditioned for the West End Theatre and got the part. After that, she worked in many different nightclubs.
International Performances
A man named Dick Campbell sent Mable to London, England. She stayed there for 18 months. She performed at the famous London Palladium. Mable said, "I represented America in the nightclub scene, and Africa in the jungle scenes."
In London, she met Buddy Bradley, a choreographer. She started teaching dance alongside him. She also got married in London, but her marriage did not last long.
Wartime and "Queen of Soundies"
During World War II, Mable Lee toured with the USO. The USO put on shows for soldiers. She was part of their first all-black performance group. She traveled and performed for the Navy, Air Force, and at different camps.
After the war, she performed for wounded veterans in hospitals. She also did a show at Leavenworth. Mable became very famous for her dancing in more than 100 short films called soundies in the 1940s. This is how she earned the nickname "Queen of the Soundies."
In March 1947, Mable Lee was featured on the cover of Ebony magazine.
Later Career and Legacy
Mable returned from Europe in 1950. She moved back to Atlanta. There, she met her husband, Tony Mansfield. She performed in theaters and nightclubs in Atlanta again. This time, she had her own act.
She also appeared on Broadway in several shows. One was the 1952 musical Shuffle Along. She helped raise a lot of money for this show. She also danced in The Hoofers and Bubbling Brown Sugar. Mable choreographed many of her performances, including for the Soundies, even if she didn't always get credit.
In 1960, Mable and Tony had their only child, a son named Michael.
Awards and Final Performances
Mable Lee received many honors for her amazing career. In 2004, she won the Flo-Bert Award. This award celebrates "outstanding figures in the field of tap dance." In 2008, she was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame.
Her very last performance was in July 2018. She danced at Symphony Space in Manhattan. This was part of the New York City Tap Festival. Mable kept creating and performing for so long because she was always curious. Other people also encouraged her talent.
Mable Lee passed away on February 7, 2019. She was 97 years old. She died at a nursing home in Manhattan.
