Thelma Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Thelma Carpenter was a jazz
singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie The Wiz
.
in 1938 (where she would be honored and perform nearly 60 years later on the NBC special Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame.) She played such clubs as Kelly's Stable and the Famous Door on legendary 52nd Street, where she was discovered by John Hammond
. She subsequently made her debut as a band vocalist with Teddy Wilson
's short-lived orchestra in 1939, recording Love Grows on the White Oak Tree and This is the Moment
for Brunswick Records
. She joined Coleman Hawkins
' orchestra in 1940, with whom she made the RCA Bluebird Records
classic He's Funny That Way. She followed Helen Humes
as Count Basie
's vocalist in 1943, remaining with the band for two years, recording the Columbia Records
hit I Didn't Know About You
as well as many popular V-disc
sides including Do Nothing till You Hear from Me, More Than You Know
, I Dream of You, Tess's Torch Song and My Ideal. She also did a V-disc
version of Frank Loesser
's "The Last Thing I Want Is Your Pity." Carpenter replaced Dinah Shore
as vocalist on Eddie Cantor
's radio show for the 1945-46 season, marking the first time that a black artist had become a permanent member of an all-white show without playing a character. She was a top nightclub attraction for most of her career, performing regularly at such chic clubs as Le Ruban Bleu, Spivy's Roof, the Bon Soir, the St. Regis Maisonette and Michael's Pub, as well as Chez Bricktop in Paris and Rome. She also headlined major theaters including the Capitol Theatre
, Loew's State and the Palace Theatre on Broadway and sang with Duke Ellington
in concerts and on television.
Broadway appearances include Memphis Bound with Bill Robinson
, Inside USA with Beatrice Lillie
, the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along
with Avon Long
, Ankles Aweigh
with Betty and Jane Kean
and the title role in Hello, Dolly!
in which she replaced Pearl Bailey
more than 100 times and became the fully billed matinee star. It was in "Dolly" that she was seen by a producer from Paramount
who signed her to co-star as the mother in the TV version of Neil Simon
's Barefoot in the Park
. She also created the role of Irene Paige in Bubbling Brown Sugar
, starring in the Philadelphia and Washington engagements, but left prior to the Broadway opening, and was featured in the original workshop production of Taking My Turn.
Carpenter toured nationally as the showstopping "Berthe" in Bob Fosse
's production of Pippin
, the same year she filmed her showstopping number "He's The Wizard" for Sidney Lumet
's film version of The Wiz
. Fosse and Lumet arranged their schedules so that she could do both projects. She recorded for Majestic
, RCA Victor, Columbia
and Coral and her answer-record to Elvis Presley
, Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight, reached the Billboard Top 60 in 1961.
She also had a critically acclaimed album, "Thinking of You Tonight."
Carpenter's television appearances began as early as the 1940s (including Cavalcade of Stars with Jackie Gleason
) and she was prominently featured on the 1993 NBC special Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame with Diana Ross
, Eric Clapton
and Bill Cosby
.
as well as several television movies and comedy shows, and the films The Wiz
(as Miss One) and The Cotton Club
(as the mother of Maurice Hines
and Gregory Hines
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
.
Career
As a child performer, Carpenter had her own radio show in New York and won an amateur night at the Apollo TheatreApollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
in 1938 (where she would be honored and perform nearly 60 years later on the NBC special Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame.) She played such clubs as Kelly's Stable and the Famous Door on legendary 52nd Street, where she was discovered by John Hammond
John H. Hammond
John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
. She subsequently made her debut as a band vocalist with Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was an American jazz pianist whose sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.-Biography:Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in...
's short-lived orchestra in 1939, recording Love Grows on the White Oak Tree and This is the Moment
This Is the Moment
This is the Moment is a song by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, and is the centerpiece of Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden's musical Jekyll & Hyde...
for Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
. She joined Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
' orchestra in 1940, with whom she made the RCA Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the "3 records for a dollar" market. Along with ARC's Perfect Records, Melotone Records and Romeo Records, and the independent US Decca label, Bluebird became one of the best...
classic He's Funny That Way. She followed Helen Humes
Helen Humes
Helen Humes was an American jazz and blues singer.Humes was successively a teenaged blues singer, band vocalist with Count Basie, saucy R&B diva and a mature interpreter of the classy popular song.-Career:...
as Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
's vocalist in 1943, remaining with the band for two years, recording the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
hit I Didn't Know About You
I Didn't Know About You
"I Didn't Know About You" is a 1944 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Bob Russell.Alec Wilder wrote that it "works well as a song in [the] series of Ellington instrumentals with Russell lyrics...
as well as many popular V-disc
V-Disc
V-Disc was a morale-boosting initiative involving the production of several series of recordings during the World War II era by special arrangement between the United States government and various private U.S. record companies. The records were produced for the use of United States military...
sides including Do Nothing till You Hear from Me, More Than You Know
More Than You Know (1929 song)
"More Than You Know" is a popular song, with music written by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu. The song was published in 1929....
, I Dream of You, Tess's Torch Song and My Ideal. She also did a V-disc
V-Disc
V-Disc was a morale-boosting initiative involving the production of several series of recordings during the World War II era by special arrangement between the United States government and various private U.S. record companies. The records were produced for the use of United States military...
version of Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
's "The Last Thing I Want Is Your Pity." Carpenter replaced Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
as vocalist on Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
's radio show for the 1945-46 season, marking the first time that a black artist had become a permanent member of an all-white show without playing a character. She was a top nightclub attraction for most of her career, performing regularly at such chic clubs as Le Ruban Bleu, Spivy's Roof, the Bon Soir, the St. Regis Maisonette and Michael's Pub, as well as Chez Bricktop in Paris and Rome. She also headlined major theaters including the Capitol Theatre
Capitol Theatre (New York City)
The Capitol Theatre was a movie palace located at 1645 Broadway, just north of Times Square in New York City, across from the Winter Garden Theatre. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, the Capitol seated 4000 and opened October 24, 1919. It was one of the first of the large lavish movie theaters that...
, Loew's State and the Palace Theatre on Broadway and sang with Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
in concerts and on television.
Broadway appearances include Memphis Bound with Bill Robinson
Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
, Inside USA with Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Gladys "Bea" Lillie was an actress and comedic performer. Following her 1920 marriage to Sir Robert Peel in England, she was known in private life as Lady Peel.-Early career:...
, the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along is the first major successful African American musical. Written by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, with music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1921.-Plot:...
with Avon Long
Avon Long
Avon Long was an American Broadway actor and singer.-Life:Long was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He performed in a number of Broadway shows, including Black Rhythm , Porgy and Bess , and Beggar's Holiday...
, Ankles Aweigh
Ankles Aweigh
Ankles Aweigh is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis, lyrics by Dan Shapiro, and music by Sammy Fain.The plot centers on Hollywood starlet Wynne, who violates a clause in her contract by marrying Navy flyer Bill while filming a movie in Sicily...
with Betty and Jane Kean
Jane Kean
Jane Kean is an American actress.-Career:Jane Kean and her older sister, , formed a comedy duo that worked the nightclub circuit throughout the 1940s and '50s, and the two appeared on Broadway as sisters in the short-lived 1955 musical Ankles Aweigh.She studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the...
and the title role in Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
in which she replaced Pearl Bailey
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
more than 100 times and became the fully billed matinee star. It was in "Dolly" that she was seen by a producer from Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
who signed her to co-star as the mother in the TV version of Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's Barefoot in the Park
Barefoot in the Park
This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
. She also created the role of Irene Paige in Bubbling Brown Sugar
Bubbling Brown Sugar
Bubbling Brown Sugar is a musical revue written by Loften Mitchell based on a concept by Rosetta LeNoire and featuring the music of numerous African-American artists who were popular during the Harlem Renaissance, 1920–1940, including Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Fats...
, starring in the Philadelphia and Washington engagements, but left prior to the Broadway opening, and was featured in the original workshop production of Taking My Turn.
Carpenter toured nationally as the showstopping "Berthe" in Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
's production of Pippin
Pippin (musical)
Pippin is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. Bob Fosse, who directed the original Broadway production, also contributed to the libretto...
, the same year she filmed her showstopping number "He's The Wizard" for Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
's film version of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
. Fosse and Lumet arranged their schedules so that she could do both projects. She recorded for Majestic
Majestic Records
Majestic Records was a mid-20th century New York City based record label. The label enjoyed its greatest commercial success in the 1940s, until over-ambitious expansion and an inability to keep distributors supplied with pressings of discs resulted in financial problems, and the label folded in...
, RCA Victor, Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and Coral and her answer-record to Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight, reached the Billboard Top 60 in 1961.
She also had a critically acclaimed album, "Thinking of You Tonight."
Carpenter's television appearances began as early as the 1940s (including Cavalcade of Stars with Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
) and she was prominently featured on the 1993 NBC special Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
.
Acting career
In the 1970s, Carpenter began an acting career and starred in the sitcom version of Barefoot in the ParkBarefoot in the Park
This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
as well as several television movies and comedy shows, and the films The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
(as Miss One) and The Cotton Club
The Cotton Club (film)
The Cotton Club is a 1984 crime-drama, centered on a famed Harlem jazz club of the 1930s, the Cotton Club.The movie was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, choreographed by Henry LeTang, and starred Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Gregory Hines...
(as the mother of Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines is an American actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer.Born in New York City, Hines began his career at the age of five, studying tap dance at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in Manhattan. LeTang recognized his talent and began choreographing numbers specifically for him and his...
and Gregory Hines
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
.
Death
Carpenter died of a heart attack in her New York apartment on May 14, 1997 and her body was not discovered until several days later, a fate that had previously befallen her mother and something she always feared. She was cremated.Filmography
- Crazy House (unbilled appearance with Count Basie)
- Call Her Mom
- The Devil's Daughter (1973)
- The WizThe WizThe Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
- The Cotton ClubThe Cotton Club (film)The Cotton Club is a 1984 crime-drama, centered on a famed Harlem jazz club of the 1930s, the Cotton Club.The movie was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, choreographed by Henry LeTang, and starred Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Gregory Hines...
- New York StoriesNew York StoriesNew York Stories is a 1989 anthology film; it consists of three shorts with the central theme being New York City.The first is Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The second is Life Without Zoë, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by...
(scenes cut prior to release)
Notable Television Appearances
- Cavalcade of Stars- 3 episodes (with Jackie Gleason)
- Kreisler Bandstand (with Duke Ellington)
- Barefoot in the ParkBarefoot in the ParkThis article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...
- 12 episodes - CosbyCosbyCosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
- "No Nudes Is Good Nudes" - The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
- "Lady from Sunshine Gardens", "Eye of the Beholder", "Bugged" - The Paul Lynde ShowThe Paul Lynde ShowThe Paul Lynde Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC. The series stars Paul Lynde and aired from September 13, 1972 to September 8, 1973.-Setting:...
- "An Affair to Forget" - Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm5Fdkhywzc&playnext=1&list=PL3982DA96E1F46733 Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame, 1993, Pt. 1
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfskXO1K-G0 Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame, Pt. 2
- http://www.amazon.com/Thelma-Carpenter/e/B000AP7XH8/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1305948874&sr=1-4-ent
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0139470
- http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=ACD-111
- http://www.sepiarecords.com/sepia1080.html (album cover)