PEARL BAILEY - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 03/06/1968 - HFSID 313716

PEARL BAILEY
Warm letter praising the theatre, written to a man who has seen her latest play (the all-black production of Hello, Dolly!) four times. Bailey won a special Tony for this performance.
Typed Letter signed: "Pearl Bailey", 1 page, 8½x11. No place, 1968 March 6. To "Dear Mr. Lowe", in full: "Thank you so much for your beautiful letter of Feb. 29th. How happy I am that you have seen our show and so thoroughly enjoyed it that you have returned four times. The love and warmth that is generated throughout the theatre during and after each performance is truly a magnificent tribute and I continue to be overwhelmed by it. God has richly blessed me and I pray that He allows me to continue to share these many blessings with my fellowman. My thanks and appreciation again for your having written. Sincerely". Pearl Bailey (1918-1990), a jazz singer and Broadway star, made her Broadway debut in 1946, in the musical St. Louis Woman; her performance resulted in an award for most promising newcomer. She won a special Tony Award in 1968. She appeared in numerous films, including Carmen Jones, St. Louis Blues, and Porgy and Bess. She is perhaps best known for her sultry jazz renditions, having both started and ended her career in nightclubs. Her early days were spent singing in cafes, theaters, and nightclubs in the Northeast, with an occasional stint as a singer with a big band, such as Count Basie's orchestra. In the 1960s, she returned to nightclub singing, and appeared frequently on television; one of her most notable appearances was on the 1966 special Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey on Broadway.Bailey was named to the U.S. delegation to the United Nations in 1976, and awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1988. When she wrote this letter, Bailey was starring in a production of Hello, Dolly! with an all-black cast, initially a road tour which proved so successful that it came to Broadway. It was this performance which won Bailey her special Tony in 1968. Normal mailing folds. Heavily toned with moisture damages at edges. Otherwise, fine condition.