Showtime at the Apollo

by Ted Fox

For close to 60 years the Apollo Theatre in the heart of Harlem has been one of America's foremost cultural institutions, a top showcase for black entertainers and a launching pad for some of the greatest talents of our time: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughan, and Richard Pryor are just a few. Ted Fox has written a history of the special combination of people and atmosphere at the Apollo; he lets the theatre's stars tell a large part of the story through personal anecdotes, augmented by a splendid array of rare pictures. The author also discusses the evolution of black cultural forms in music and comedy, and in so doing, preserves routines, Apollo trademarks, and backstage lore that might otherwise be lost.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, History

322 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Rolf]

An informative and entertaining history of an American icon, and how it reflected and defined the Black music industry for pretty much the entire 20th century.

[Linda]

No where else will you find the history of music, entertainment, Civil Rights, two World Wars, or the changes of New York's Harlem better told than in this book. It was well documented, had photos, quotes, and paragraphs from many Black (Afro-American) People of Color. Times changed, terms changed, but the GREAT Performers of the Apollo were and are a Great! What history of jazz origins, of rock origins, of swing and more. You will learn more of the real roots and wonder as I - when will recognition ever happen for many?