Underneath a Harlem Moon: The Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall

by Iain Cameron Williams

Adelaide Hall is the missing link in Harlem's Renaissance, historically the richest period of American black culture. As its most important and influential female star, she dynamically pushed down the barriers that had previously prevented black entertainers from reaching mass recognition. The astounding media attention she received on both sides of the Atlantic during her two-year starring role in Lew Leslie's Broadway revue Blackbirds of 1928 turned Adelaide into what can only be termed the first modern-day international black female superstar.With fame came controversy. On Broadway, Adelaide's performance incited a riot. After purchasing an exclusive estate in the predominantly white suburb of Larchmont in Westchester, New York, the segregation and persecution she encountered from her racist neighbors hit national headlines.In Underneath a Harlem Moon, Williams takes the reader on a fascinating roller-coaster ride from Adelaide's birth in Brooklyn through her humble childhood in Harlem, from her triumphs on Broadway to the glamour of Paris's Moulin Rouge. Readers get a glimpse inside the most sophisticated and celebrated nightclubs in the world and follow Adelaide across two continents on a groundbreaking eighteen-month RKO tour. By the end of 1932, Adelaide had performed for millions and in the process had become one of America's wealthiest black women. Her exile to Paris in 1935 brought with it new challenges and rewards. By 1938, not content with being dubbed the Queen of Montmartre, she set her sights on conquering Britain. Underneath a Harlem Moon concludes with Adelaide's mysterious disappearance in November 1938, which has, until now, never been publicly explained.

448 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2002

About the author

Iain Cameron Williams was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, of Scottish and Welsh ancestry and British-American-Indian mixed heritage. His mother was born in New York, America, and his father was born in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India. His grandfather is the missionary, writer, and poet Rev. Aeneas Francon Williams, and his great-grandfather is the renowned Welsh writer and geographer John Francon Williams. On his maternal side, Williams is a third cousin of the author D. H. Lawrence. Iain Cameron Williams is the writer of The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue [publ. 2022], and the travelogues The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol. I & II). Williams' debut novel for younger readers, The Tail of 'Too Bad' Mike (audiobook released July 2023, narrated by Eilidh Beaton), follows the adventures of a skateboarding shrew named Mike. Set in the fictitious kingdom of Pembridge, the story introduces the reader to a curious little world full of hidden meanings. ‘Too Bad’ Mike™

Brighton Follies - A Stage Musical in Two Acts [publ. Nov 2023].

The Clock Winder: a short story [publ. Dec. 2024].

The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol III) travelogue, to be published in 2026.

To read a selection of poetry from The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol I) follow the link: https://b2l.bz/XKlHUM

Karaoke Freedom, a new screenplay by Iain Cameron Williams to be published in 2026. Set in Brighton in summer, 2010, during the annual PRIDE event. '’An uplifting story of hope, diversity and challenge..."

Reviews

[Creolecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Winstanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written account of the birth of Jazz from a different perspective, that of a vocalist that helped define jazz singing. Williams uses his language cleverly and descriptively without being overly fussy. The book builds from chapter to chapter, and reaches a climax towards the end that left me wishing he"d written about the rest of Miss Hall's career after she arrived in the UK. An very good read.