Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-01-24
TheatriicaIIy
Yours
By RIA BARLEY

NEW YORK (Global) Ming
year-old Leslie U. Crayne is the
latest credit to our race. This
pretty little doll is a great and
smooth type of well-groomed and
polished singer. She's natural
and MGM president, Frank Wal
ker, gave Little Miss Personality"
the break of her life and signed
her up.
Little Leslie has her first MGM
release already on the streets.
They are "Percy The Pale Faced
Polar Bar" and Easter Bunny
Day. Leslie, who is also smooth
dancer, has sung on the Berle and
Godfrey show as well as the Pills
bury show. She's the biggest thing
since Shirley Temple. This bundle
of singing JOY is directing her re-
cordings toward the kiddy market,
announced Frank Walker "Nevcr
before has the Negro race had one
of their own singing kiddy records
on major recording label and
it's high time something is done
about it." he said. So, Frank
Walker has done something about
it. Leslie is an MGM recording
artist and he's very happy about
the outcome of her first recording
session. "She's a natural" Mr..
Walker said. Her voice is so
crystal clear, her diction is up to
perfection" MGM Records are
spending many dollars in promot-
ing Little Miss Personality" who
halls from Philly and is personally
supervised on her MGM recordings
by Joe Davis of Beacon Records.
Count Basic and his band and
Lester Young are clicking at Bird
land Charlie Fuqua and his
New Inkspots clicked at the Earle
Theatre in Washington. They are
now appearing at new white ca
in Washington, D. C. The New
Inkspots are terrific. They sing
with class and dignity Frank
Schiffman, owner of the Apollo
Theatre where the group appeared
last week, was more than pleased
with Fuqua and his New Inkspots,
for they stopped every show.
Johnny Hodges and his DIRK came
back to New York and recorded
an instrumental on this writer's
song, Laugh" which is expected
to be released on the market in
February. Operators are already
saying that Hodges will break
Laugh" wide open Johnny
Hodges is one of the biggest sell
ars of instrumental recordings in
the country.
Sarah Vaughan went over great
at Broadway's Paramount Saw
Enroll Garner in New York City
=. Bump and Bumpy stopped
every show at the Broadway Para
mount Theatre. They were on the
same bill with headliner, Sarah
Vaughan , Jimmie Rogers seen
at the Turf Rumor is that
Damito 10 and Steve Gibson of the
Redcaps are married.
Cecil Young and his quartet,
with the Teddy Wilson Trio at the
Chicago Bluenote . Maxine Sui
livan studying ballet Wild
Bill Davis clicking at Colonial
Club in Toronto The Orioles
and the Paul Williams ork on a
tour of one-nighters.
MGM recording star, Joni James.
who has risen to fame on her "Why
Don't You Believe Me" is now APP
pearing at New York's plush La
Vie En- Rose, where she's clicking
like mad. Following this engage
ment, Joni invades the stage of
Broadway's Paramount Theatre.
Tommy Edwards MGM platter
of "You Win Again" is selling like
hot cakes. | like Tommy's easy,
smooth, carefree, soothing record
ing voice.
MGM Records, through its lib
eral president, Frank Walker, has
started the New Year with a bang,
signing up a host of new colored
talent as MGM recording artists.
Those who already have been
signed, and whose recordings are
already on the market are: Eddie
Carter Quartet; Basil Spears. tall
ented pianist and singer; Blues
singer Gabriel Brown and his gui-
tar; Irene Redfield; The Blues
Chasers; Mile Bosnian; AL King;
Beulah Bryant, and nine-year-old
Leslie (Uggams) Crayne, whom
many predict will be the sepia
Shirley Temple.