The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-04-26
-In- Mezg York
Rr PAUL HARRIsoN

New York.-At the Club Rich
 man: Handsome Russell Patterson, the artist: Johnny Green, the com
 poser: dainty Mitzi Mayfair; Jim- my Durante and his nose; Hal l1e Roy, the dancer from Cincinnati;
 smartly-togged Jean Aubert; stout and beaming Sophie Tucker =.
 These and many others applauding C;Ilda Grav's return to Broadway. An older, but a new Gilda, singing torch songs instead of shimmying.
 More than fifteen years ago she
 was discovered by Sophie Tucker,
 and started on her career. Until
 this night the two perennials hadn't met since the ''Gaities of 1919" At the new spring revue of the
 Cotton club, next night: Carl Van Vechten, the writer: Lupe Velez and. of course, Johnny Weismuller;
 Lou Holtz; Eddie Cantor; Ethel
 Norman; Sophie Tucker
 Everybody applauding the singer.
 Ethel Waters Miss Waters re-
 calls gratefully how, many years ago, she was led out of oblivion by Miss Tucker, given several dresses
 and recommended for a spot on Broadway
 At the Hollywood, on the third night: A spotlight, searching out
 celebrities, has little trouble land
 ing on Sophie Tucker. She takes
 q bow, then stills the applause with her booming voice: "Tm leav- | ing Broadway for awhile, folks. /. I'm going to Chicago to-mor- row, and tonight want to try out
 some of my new songs on you
 Stopped 'em at 17
 After three numbers she sat | down, flushed and triumphant: Guess there's life in the old girl yet; they seemed to like 'em. Now | for Chicago; Pm opening at tho | Two Twenty Five club, very | swanky, on the Gold Coast. And I think III have my own club sA
 the worlds fair.
 Chicago likes Sophie Tucker.
 I've been going back there several 1 times a year for---1et me sec since 1909. I remember that first day; it was at William Morris | American Music Hall, and l was
 number two on a twenty-act bill. I was just kid, IT, ran away
 from home three years before. and | didn't want anybody to guess my | age. So had black velvet gown. | with 8 train, and my hair up Tn l exactly 125 curls. I came on hold 1 ing 6 sheet of music. The orchestra
 started that dum-dum -de-dum bit l from F'aust--and most of the
 audience made break for the bar at the back of the hall!
 T stopped lem, though. I let | out one loud below that rooted
 'em in their tracks. Then went into "The Lov-in' Rag---the Lov-in'
 Rag and they all rushed back
 and sat down."
 Russian by Birth
 Nobody would guess it, but So- l phie Is Russian instead of q
 corn belt Amazon. Back in the
 early 'nineties, she confided, her
 parents fled Odesso and went into hiding near the Italian border. which they hoped to cross. Their
 name was kalish Into their
 retreat one day stumbled an ail-
 ing young Italian, fleeing military service in his own country. The l Kalishes nursed him until he died, then took his passport and adopted the name 1t bore--Aduza.
 i They took ship for America. A daughter was born to them on the
 boat,s and they called her Sonia | Sonia Aduza. They settled in
 Hartford, Conn. and there Sonia
 learned to sing and to yearn for
 the stage. Finally she ran away | to New York, where her lusty
 voice won her small turns on beer garden stages. Made up in black | face, she shouted coon songs. later
 appeared in burlesque. After she | had married man named Tuck,
 somebody suggested she use the name of Sophie Tucker.