She also recorded two comedy albums, Moms Mabley at the U.N. and Moms Mabley at the Geneva Convention. Moms Mabley was one of 16 children, and by the time she'd turned 11, her life tragically changed as a result of being raped by an older man. Omissions? She modeled her stage persona largely on her grandmother, who had been a slave. If they don't want the truth, then don't come to Moms. To escape a despised stepfather, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Quick-witted and quick-tongued, Mabley's unorthodox, self-assured routines as an outspoken grandma while wearing bag-lady clothes--old-fashioned print dresses and floppy hats--was a favorite with Black female audiences, particularly when she was lampooning the psychology of men. This article is from the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 volumes, edited by William S. Powell. 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. It was aired by HBO. Mabley entered the world of film and stage as well, working with writer Zora Neale Hurston on the 1931 Broadway show Fast and Furious: A Colored Revue in 37 Scenes and taking on a featured role in Paul Robeson's Emperor Jones (1933). A small donation would help us keep this available to all. ''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.''. Fellow performer Jack Mabley became her boyfriend for a short time, and she took on his name, becoming Jackie Mabley, with "Moms" coming from her eventual reputation as a mentoring, mothering spirit. 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. Although Moms herself was a lesbian, according to Ms. Taylor, her favorite persona was that of ''dirty old lady'' with a penchant for younger men. [14], In April 1939, Mabley became the first female comic to perform at the Apollo theater in Harlem.[15]. Midge has yet to hear of her, and given the historical timeline, that makes sense . On May 23, 1975, Mabley passed away following a heart attack in White Plains, New York. Moms Mabley - Abraham, Martin & John - Full 1969 Vinyl Album - YouTube 0:00 / 33:13 Moms Mabley - Abraham, Martin & John - Full 1969 Vinyl Album ThreeMinutesAday 15.2K subscribers. She was an inspiration for irreverent female comics of that era, including Phyllis Diller and, in her final years, Mabley poked fun at the president and other government officials. She was known to tackle controversial subjects like U.S. race relations, sexual allusion, and her attraction to younger men. A veteran of the Chitlin Circuit of African-American vaudeville, she later appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. At the apex of her long career, she was earning $10,000 a week at Harlem's Apollo Theatre. She was run over by a truck. (189823 May 1975), comedienne and actress, was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, the daughter of "Uncle" Jim and Mary Aiken. Black Comedy Legends Into Its Walk of Fame: Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx and SEVERAL YEARS AGO CLARICE Taylor was sitting around in a restaurant one day telling Moms Mabley jokes. 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. AND, please click the notification button (looks like the liberty bell), located next to the subscribe button. Both children were placed for adoption. [24], Mabley continued performing in the 1970s. Mabley focused on conventional topics such as family and others not normally . But a recent update she made for her fans revealed she's on her way to recovery. How many times should a shock absorber bounce? In 2013, comedian Whoopi Goldberg spearheaded the documentary, "I Got Something To Tell You," which was centered around Moms' career. Both rapes resulted in pregnancies; both babies were given away. Jackie "Moms" Mabley (March 19, 1894 - May 23, 1975), born Loretta Mary Aiken, was an American standup comedian and a pioneer of the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" of African-American vaudeville. circuit to perform comedy without a male counterpart. She modeled her stage persona largely on her grandmother, who had been a slave. Since Loretta was boarding with a clergyman and his wife, she felt that she could not tell them that she was going into show business, so she threw her bag over the back fence where Bonnie Drew was waiting with her car. All Rights Reserved. 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). In 1983[28] and 1984, Whoopi Goldberg "first came to national prominence with her one-woman show"[29] in which she portrayed Mabley, Moms, first performed in Berkeley, California, and then at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco; the Oakland Museum of California preserves a poster advertising the show. After the short-lived love affair, she adopted his name. Actress Clarice Taylor, who portrayed Bill Cosby's mother on The Cosby Show and was a major fan of Mabley's work, staged the 1987 play Moms at the Astor Place Theater, in which she portrayed the trailblazing icon. She emerged on stage in the 1920s traveling the USA "Chitlin' Circuit" aka the African . He told her it was a disgrace to their family name to be a woman in the entertainment business. [33], Mabley was the inspiration for the character of Grandma Klump in the 1996 movie The Nutty Professor. After arriving in Pittsburgh, Pa., Loretta Aiken made her debut in the play, The Rich Aunt from Utah. I wanted to do it like she had done - to go up onstage and tell all her jokes. In 2015 Mabley was named one of the thirty-one icons by Equality Forum. 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. '', See the article in its original context from. Mabley died from heart failure in White Plains, New York, on May 23, 1975. Moms Mabley, whose birth name was Loretta Mary Aiken, channeled childhood pain into inane chatter. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Both encounters resulted in pregnancies and she gave up both babies. Asheville Citizen, 21 Mar., 22 Oct. 1971, 3 Mar. A teenage runaway, she joined the Negro troupe of Henry Bowman and Tim Moore and, in a short time, became a success. Moms Mabley (1894-1975) Actress Soundtrack IMDbPro Starmeter See rank 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. [16] The non-threatening persona aided her in addressing topics too edgy for most comics of the time, including racism, sexuality and having children after becoming a widow. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. (4) By the time of her death in 1975, she had garnered an estate of over half a million dollars. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Shortly after, two more tragedies struck her. 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. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you'd better believe. Legendary American vaudeville entertainer-turned-comedian Jackie "Moms" Mabley became famous for her persona as a frumpy, middle-aged woman in a housedress and floppy hat delivering hilarious. While making the film she suffered a heart attack, and the filming had to be postponed until she had a pacemaker implanted. }}, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, "Theater: The Pain Behind The Laughter of Moms Mabley", "James Aiken and Mary Smith, May 21, 1891", "Walking Around the World: African American Landscapes and Experience in Transylvania County, NC", "Moms Mabley: She Finally Makes the Movies", "Meet the legendary queer comedian 'Moms' Mabley", "The Pain Behind The Laughter of Moms Mabley", "LGBT History Month - Jackie 'Moms' Mabley - Comedian", "The Story Behind the Harlem Cultural Festival", "Whoopi Goldberg to Bring MOMS Off-Broadway?". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [30] Mabley was the subject of Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley, a documentary film which first aired on HBO on November 18, 2013. Whoopi Goldberg Talks HBO's WHOOPI GOLDBERG PRESENTS MOMS MABLEY, Directing the Documentary, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, and More . At the apex of her long career, she was earning $10,000 a week at Harlems Apollo Theatre. Hope you enjoy this 1968 album titled, The Best of Mom's Mabley. Jus' quit lyin' to 'em. 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. Jackie Moms Mabley found fame and fortune as a stand-up comedian during the twentieth century. She is said to have been given the nickname Moms because of her compassion for other performers. Moms Mabley/Age at death. by Kim Wilson May 4, 2000. 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. ** [13] During the 1920s and 1930s she appeared in androgynous clothing and recorded several "lesbian stand-up" routines. She often commented: "I love North Carolina. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. She was raped at the age of 11 by an older black man, and raped again two years later by the white town sheriff. '', Above all, Ms. Taylor hopes to answer the question first asked her by an uninformed friend. [31][32] The documentary was nominated for two Creative Arts Emmy Awards at the 66th ceremony held on August 16, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Narrator for Whoopi Goldberg. Her most popular scripts portrayed her as a dirty old lady who preyed on young men. Go to channel Playlist \u0026 check out more of Moms Mabley!Don't forget to subscribe, thumbs up, and comment! Loretta Aiken was one of 12 children. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. In the year 1894, Moms was born in North Carolina as "Loretta Mary Aiken." She was one of her parents' 16 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. But as she made a living making people laugh, there was, in fact, another dimension to her, a past so heartbreaking, its difficult to imagine she survived. welfare, and inebriation. I'm that Mom.". Media Network, LLC, 2015); Allison Keyes, The Apollo Theater to Induct 3 " 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [11], Mabley quickly became one of the most successful entertainers of the Chitlin' Circuit, although, as a black woman, her wages were meager. By the early 1920s she had begun to work with the duo Butterbeans & Susie, and eventually became an attraction at the Cotton Club. circuit to perform comedy without a male counterpart. 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. 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. At the apex of her long career, she was earning $10,000 a week at Harlem's Apollo Theatre. Search instead in Creative? ''I knew her from sitting in the audience at the Apollo Theater falling out of my seat laughing at her. Thank you! 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. Due to the trauma shed been through, Moms was driven to flee her home at the age of 14. What is meant by the competitive environment? If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. Best Known For: Moms Mabley was a trailblazing African American 20th century comedian known for warm yet raunchy stand-up routines and hit albums. She also was deeply involved in politics, especially as a member of the NAACP. Mabley later recorded comedy albums and appeared in films and on television programs including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.[2]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. From there, she managed to find her way to the top of the entertainment industry where she reigned as an icon in comedy. Moms Mabley was born in Brevard, North Carolina in the 1890s, and went on to establish a career as the top standup comedienne of her time. [12], She came out as a lesbian in 1921 at the age of twenty-seven, becoming one of the first openly gay comedians. In 1975 she had the lead in the film Amazing Grace, her first starring role in the cinema. Who is Moms Mabley? 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. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moms-Mabley, African American Registry - Biography of Mom Mabley. What she learned was heartbreaking. 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