Talk:Pearl Bailey

Personal Data
After a very intensive search for any census data regarding Pearl Bailey and her family, I have become interested in finding out what the sources are for Pearl Bailey's birthname, birthdate, and parents' names. That is not to say I am disputing or doubting any of the information. Perhaps, someone has found and seen a birth certificate. But due to the amount of discrepancies between biographies and actual genealogical evidence on a number of other artists, I am curious as to the sources. I have yet to find Pearl Bailey, Pearlie Bailey, or Dickie (her nickname) Bailey or Ella Mae Bailey or Joseph Bailey in the 1920 or 1930 census. I have even tried Baily and Bayley and Pearl and Ella and Joseph, but to no avail. Daviddaniel37

Seth MacFarlane
A Family Guy / American Dad reference is currently 33% of the Death section. This is bothersome on several levels. Editors, please delete. Relgif (talk) 16:50, 30 September 2012 (UTC)

Muppet Show Appearance
This is not mentioned in the article. Please add. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.0.116.153 (talk) 00:30, 12 January 2013 (UTC)
 * I also have fond memories of Miss Bailey on the Capt. Kangaroo show. At least I think I do... that's a long time ago anymore.... PurpleChez (talk) 13:38, 7 April 2013 (UTC)

biographical details and discography
Pearl Bailey's father was a minister, and I believe he had moved to a church in the state of Ohio. As a young woman and an up and coming star, Pearl recorded a gospel album with her fathers' church's choir, and her photo appeared on the album cover. This album did not receive nationwide distribution but it was still in record stores in the early 1980's in Ohio at least.

I watched her TV show in the 1970's and one particularly touching episode featured Ethel Waters (b. October 31, 1896 – d. September 1, 1977) singing. Ms. Waters was semi-retired and using a wheelchair at the time because she could hardly walk and Pearl's TV production crew provided a dress for Ms. Waters to wear and arranged her on the stage behind closed curtains and then on camera opened the curtains and Pearlie Mae walked over and of course hugged Ethel etc., as they were both trail blazers and pioneers in civil rights and entertainment -- and here they were on TV together -- after all these years. Ethel Waters was the highest paid female entertainer in the 1920's, (Al Jolson, a male, being the highest paid) and she later had her own jazz band and appeared in movies and on Broadway and in her later years recorded gospel albums and sang at Billy Graham crusades occasionally. It was a watershed moment.

The last letter I got from Pearl was when she was living in Arizona just a few years before her death. She had just completed a national book-signing tour and was having to go in hospital for some type of further medical operations. Looking at her, you would not have known she was sick as her facial skin and make up was just perfect. But there were newspaper articles about her operations.

I also recall she lived for a time in Chicago, Illinois. There is significant biographical information and photographs of Pearl Bailey in the archives of Ebony Magazine. All of the articles are not titled with her name, but she is in some of them with photographs, and they offer a larger and clearer view of her as a special and dynamic celebrity. She was always loving and kind in her personal life and her former neighbors have fond memories of her. 97.76.210.2 (talk) 20:33, 13 May 2016 (UTC)Francois F. Etienne, Atlanta