Overview

"In the 1920s and 1930s, Edwina ""Salt"" Evelyn and Jewel ""Pepper"" Welch learned to tap dance on street corners in New York and Philadelphia. By the 1940s, they were Black show business headliners, playing Harlem's Apollo Theater with the likes of Count Basie, Fats Waller and Earl ""Fatha"" Hines. Their exuberant tap style, usually performed by men, earned them the respect of their male peers and the acclaim of audiences. Based on extensive interviews with Salt and Pepper, this book chronicles for the first time the lives and careers of two overlooked female performers who succeeded despite the racism, sexism and homophobia of the Big Band era."

Full Product Details

9781476662701

Table of Contents

Reviews

[I] was knocked out by the rare photos and ads... Willis paints an intriguing picture of what show business was like for these two ladies. This is helped immeasurably by the author's interviews with Salt and Pepper themselves. --Classic Images

Author Information

Cheryl M. Willis’s doctoral work in dance focused on African American studies and children’s dance. Selected as National Dance Educator of the Year in 2000, she has toured the U.S. and Canada presenting workshops on creative dance, and has published extensively on tap dance and creative movement. She lives in Vancouver, Washington.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available