Monday 6 March 2023

Celebrity Jukebox #75: Dorothy Dandridge



Dorothy Dandridge has been dubbed Hollywood's first black leading lady, and she was the first African American actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Otto Preminger's 1954 movie Carmen Jones. Some call Dandridge the "black Marilyn Monroe" and parallels can be made between the two actresses, particularly that they both died of an overdose at very young ages. Dandridge, however, would never achieve Marilyn-like immortality, because, as she herself explained, “America was not geared to make me into a Liz Taylor, a Monroe, a Gardner.” 

Dandridge started out as a singer in a group called The Wonder Children, later becoming The Dandridge Sisters. Later in her career, she sang in nightclubs such as The Cotton Club. She had a hell of a voice, as evidenced in this clip from Carmen Jones...


How does the jukebox pay tribute to Dorothy? With the usual smorgasboard of too-cool-for-Rol rappers. But she does keep fine company in this duet from Angie Stone and James Ingram...

Who are my people? Dr. Vernon Johns
Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks
Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X
Bishop Desmond Tutu, Mohammad Ali
Sydney Poitier, Quincy Jones

Moms Mabley, Reverend Blake Scott
Aretha Franklin, Reverend Jamal Bryant
Dorothy Dandridge, Richard Pryor
Lena Horn, Samuel Jackson
Nancy Wilson, Magic Johnson
Mahalia Jackson, Smokey Robinson


In total contrast, here's an unusually romantic bunch of punks...

We make our way to the exit before all of the lights go on
Did you think our walk home was gonna end your masquerade
And I tried to keep my cool, but I knew I would cave
I tell you I dreamed you danced
So gracefully
You were like Dorothy Dandridge
And I was dressed like Gene Autry and you wore
Red so well


Finally, we have this, from a contemporary artist I have some time for since she sang guest vocals on one of the best singles of 2011, We Are Young by fun. She's also a pretty fine actress, as evidenced in the TV series Homecoming and her recent turn in the latest Benoit Blanc whodunnit, Glass Onion. And with this song, she puts Dorothy Dandridge up there with the greats... Bette and Dickie Davis... stars with songs in their eyes.
 


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