Moms Mabley

The Funniest Woman in the World!

I Got Somethin’ to Tell You!

Born in 1894 in North Carolina as Loretta Mary Aiken
At 14 years old she ran away from home
Joined a traveling vaudeville show as an entertainer
At 27 became one of the first openly gay comedians
Had an incredibly successful and long career with many accolades across various fields
Found her niche in taboo topics nobody else would touch such as racism
Recorded over 20 comedic albums
Earned $10,000 a week at Harlem’s Apollo Theater
Became known to a wider white audience, playing Carnegie Hall in 1962
Garnered national attention through various prestigious appearances in her ’50s and ’60s
At 75 years old her cover of “Abraham, Martin and John” hit #35 on the Billboard Hot 100
She become the oldest living person to have a Top 40 hit
At 80 years old played the title role in the film Amazing Grace
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley aired on HBO November 18th, 2013

“

Ain’t nothin
an old man can do
but bring me
a message from
a young one.”

Luuuccccyyyyyyyy!!!

Born in 1911 in New York as Lucille Desiree Ball
At 12 years old she had her first audition for a local stage show
At 15 the Arts school she attended stated she did not possess the talent for the industry
At 37 she played the lead role in the radio program My Favorite Husband
At 39 she formed Desilu Productions and became the first woman to own a major Hollywood production company
At 40 years old she began filming I Love Lucy, adapted from her radio show, which became TV’s most famous sitcom that influenced generations to come
Won a plethora of awards and accolades
Commemorated with a “Legends of Hollywood” stamp collection
Received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Lucy and her husband Desi Arnaz were TV’s first interracial couple
Lucy was TV’s first pregnant actress whose pregnancy was written into the script to create a pregnant character
Befriended and mentored Carol Burnett

“

The secret
to staying young
is to live honestly,
eat slowly, and
lie about your age.”

I’m so glad we had this time together…

Born in 1933 in Texas as Carol Creighton Burnett
Grew up with her grandmother in California while attending Hollywood High School
Graduated from the University of California where she changed her major from journalism to theater
At 22 years old she got her first break when she was cast on The Paul Winchell Show in 1955
At 26 years old her performance in the Broadway musical Once Upon a Mattress paved her way to stardom, earning her first Tony nomination
The same year, she became a regular player on The Garry Moore Show, a job that lasted until 1962
At 34 years old she created and starred in The Carol Burnett Show which became an instant sensation, playing for 11 seasons and winning her 22 Emmy Awards
At 42 years old she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1985
In 2006 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2013 Burnett won one of the greatest honors bestowed on comedians - the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center Honors
Befriended and mentored Vicki Lawrence

“

It’s almost
impossible
to be funnier
than the people
in Washington.”