Jackson advocate., 1952-04-05
TheatricaIIy
Yours
By RIA DARLEY

NEW YORK = (GlobaD = 1t
seems as if the race problem is 60
ing to be solved by big name
Negroes in the amusement pro-
fession and out. The stars, once
they reach consumate brightness,
are beginning to choose their mates
from the white race, or they are
being chosen by membres of the
other race.
Lena Horne, top Negro glamour
girl, is married to a white musi-
clan; Hilda Sims and Anne Wig
gins Brown were captured by white
boys; SO was 10 Baker. Now comes
word that Pearl Bailey, recently
| divorced will take on white mate,
as will Eartha Kilt, according to
the same grapevine. One thing that
can be said about the white boys
they usually pick the best.
We wonder about Dot cambridge;
she's about the hottest thing 60
ing right now, and could be con-
sidered prize catch. But competi-
ton will be awfully keen.
The Blenders, who just finished
a successful engagement on the
stage of Harlem's famed Apollo
Theatre, told this writer back stage
that they had auditioned to record
a beautiful ballad for major re-
cording company. An official said
that the song was pretty and that
their arrangement was terrific, but
that the boys sounded white. 81
want you to sound black" the Blen-
ders were told. The Blenders (all
five of them were furious as they
talked of the insult. 1t was point
ed out that the white man doesn't
mind if white singer or musician
sounds colored, but a Negro can't
sound white. Take the case of John
ny Ray of Columbia Records i.
Ray was started out as an imitator
of Negro on Columbia's Okay
Label, considered by some as that
company's Negro label. On this
label, Ray first recorded Cry. He
clicked overwhelmingly and his re-
cording company rapidly took him
off the Okay label and put him on
the "pop" label of Columbia itself.
Ray being white boy, his white
recording company jumped him up.
Yet, this same Ray initiates Billie
Holiday. Many top white singers
initiate Negroes and benefit from
it. Many feel they have to do this
because they have no original
"soul" for jazz.
It's shame the way some of
these small recording companies
are bleeding young Negro perform
ers. Here's what they do: They
have their own recording company,
their own music publishing COM
pany, their own booking office,
their own personal managers con-
tact. And, if an unknown Negro
performer wants to record for said
record company, he or she must not
only sign a recording contract, but
must also sign a personal man.
ager's contract with the company,
as well as booking contract. And,
if the unknown Negro performer
writes music, he or she must let
this same outfit publish same. At
least two small labels are the prin-
cipal offenders. In the case Of one
of them, the outfit not only records
the songs of popular singer, but
has her tied up in a personal mann
ayers contract, meaning that they
get slice of her playing in-per
son engagements.
Two weeks ago, this writer visit
ed Nat King Cole backstage of
Harlem's Apollo Theatre, where he
was performing. In his dressing
room, Nat said; 81 guess the rea-
son I have so many hit recordings
is that l pick song for the lyrics
:. they must tell story" This
writer says that isn't true, for Nat
King Cole is just the greatest
natural recording artist that ever
lived. Cole has recorded more con-
sistent hits than any other artist