Baker, Josephine

Baker, Josephine, 1906–75, dancer and singer, b. St. Louis, Mo., as Freda Josephine McDonald. In 1923 and 1924 she appeared in Broadway chorus lines. She became a sensation in Paris in La Revue négre (1925), renowned for her jazz singing, dancing, and exotic costumes. Naturalized as a French citizen in 1937, she worked for the Resistance in World War II. She died in Paris after 14 triumphant performances of Josephine, celebrating her 50 years as a performer in Paris.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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