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Content Items (14 total)

[untitled]

Illustration on Cover, Front

Credits

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith

Inker(s): James Otis Smith

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith

Subject Matter

Genres: non-fiction

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Pages: 1

Preface

Foreword, Introduction, Preface, Afterword on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 2

A Quest

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: non-fiction

Character(s): Ted Fox; Marvin Gaye; Redd Foxx; Gladys Knight; Bobby Schiffman; Francis Thomas; Josephine Baker; Dionne Warwick; Tom Jones; Sammy Davis Jr.

Synopsis: The author recalls how he first became fascinated by the Apollo Theater in Harlem, leading to his 1983 book 'Showtime at the Apollo'.

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Pages: 9

Chapter 1: The Apollo: Home

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Beverly Lee; Dave Prater; Johnny Otis; Ahmet Ertegun; Louis Armstrong; James Brown; Ella Fitzgerald; Jerome Gourdine; Redd Foxx; Ruth Brown; Muhammad Ali; Sugar Ray Robinson; Scoey Mitchell; Gladys Knight; Leslie Uggams; Dionne Warwick; Sammy Davis Jr.; Sandman Sims; Ray Charles; Willie Lewis; William Spayne; Sarah Vaughn; Jackie Wilson; Dinah Washington; Joe Lewis; Bobby Schiffman; Frank Schiffman; Jack Schiffman; Fats Domino; Harold Cromer; Fiorello La Guardia; Leonard Reed; Estrellita Brooks; John Bubbles; John Hammond

Synopsis: Various entertainers recall how the Apollo Theater became 'home' to them.

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Pages: 21

Chapter 2: Harlem Before the Apollo

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Countee Cullen; Langston Hughes; Zora Neale Hurston; Duke Ellington; Fats Waller; W. C. Handy; George De Mange; Lena Horne; Fletcher Henderson; Cab Calloway; James P. Johnson; Willie Smith; Mamie Smith; Bessie Smith; Original Dixieland Jazz Band; Paul Whiteman; Buddy Bolden; Joseph Oliver; Freddie Keppard; Ben Webster; Don Byas; Coleman Hawkins; Francis Thomas; Leo Brecher; Ethel Waters; John Bubbles; Buck Washington; John Hammond; Eddie Rector; Estrellita Brooks; Sidney Cohen; Ralph Cooper

Synopsis: A history of how black communities came to Harlem and the clubs which opened in the 1910s, including the future Apollo Theater in 1914. As other Harlem theaters are closed during the Great Depression, by 1935 the Apollo is the only Harlem theater offering live performers.

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Pages: 17

Chapter 3: The 1930s: Swingin'

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Loften Mitchell; Jimmy Cross; Harold Cromer; Benny Payne; Carol Carter; Ralph Cooper; Willie Bryant; Leonard Reed; Frank Schiffman; Benny Goodman; Artie Shaw; Fletcher Henderson; Duke Ellington; Chick Webb; Cab Calloway; Dorsey Brothers; Jimmie Lunceford; Andy Kirk; Count Basie; John Hammond; Billie Holiday; Dewey Markham; Lena Horne; Noble Sissle; Ella Fitzgerald; Timmie Rogers; Bill Robinson; Dusty Fletcher; John Mason; Johnny Lee Long; Jimmie Baskette; Tim Moore; Spi-Dee-o-Dee; Sammy Davis Jr.; Jackie Mabley; Honi Coles; Cholly Atkins; Sandman Sims; Berry Brothers; Nicholas Brothers; John Bubbles; Ethel Waters; Shirley Temple; Buck Washington; Paul Draper

Synopsis: A recounting of what performing at the Apollo was like in the 1930s for singers, musicians, dancers and comedians.

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Pages: 14

Chapter 4: Amateur Night and the Apollo Audience

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Steve Harvey; James Brown; Sandman Sims; Leonard Reed; Norman Miller; Joe Tex; Bobby Schiffman; Ralph Cooper; Henry Glover; Pearl Bailey; Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughan; Eddie Vinson; Billy Eckstine; Ruth Brown; Gladys Knight; Leslie Uggams; Michael Jackson; Jimi Hendrix; Jay Hawkins; Dionne Warwick; Billy Ward; Bill Kenny; Wilson Pickett; King Curtis; David Johnson; Sandman Sims; Geech; Lauryn Hill; Rick Aviles; Dave Chapelle; Jerome Gourdine; Ahmet Ertegun; Oscar Cohen; Joe Glaser; Nina Simone; Sammy Davis Jr.; Phyl Garland; Johnny Otis; Francis Thomas; Harold Cromer; Scoey Mitchell; Billie Holiday

Synopsis: A description of the Apollo's amateur night and some of the major performers who got their start there.

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Pages: 22

Chapter 5: The 1940s: Boppin'

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Coleman Hawkins; Harry James; Tommy Dorsey; Jack Jenney; Bunny Berigan; Carmen Mastren; John Kirby; Count Basie; Gene Krupa; Joe Marsala; Charlie Christian; Joe Guy; Nick Fenton; Kenny Clarke; Dizzy Gillespie; Charlie Parker; Thelonious Monk; Earl Hines; Erskine Hawkins; Buddy Johnson; Cootie Williams; Lucky Millinder; Lena Horne; Bill Robinson; Cab Calloway; Willie Bryant; Malcolm X; Adam Clayton Powell; Leonard Reed; Frank Schiffman; Benny Goodman; Benny Carter; Eddie Vinson; Johnny Otis; Billy Eckstine; Sarah Vaughan; Lorraine Willis; Lionel Hampton; Jackie McLean; Billie Holiday; Bill Kenny; Nat King Cole; Redd Foxx; Pearl Bailey; John Hammond; Duke Ellington; Dinah Washington; Louis Jordan; Dexter Gordon; Illinois Jacquet; Joe Newman; Sammy Davis Jr.; Will Mastin; Sammy Davis Sr.; Marilyn Monroe; Bunny Riggs; Baby Laurence; Teddy Hale; Buddy Briggs; Gregory Hines; Savion Glover; John LaRue; Timmie Rogers; John Vigal

Synopsis: World War II brings more white audiences to the Apollo while at the same time more black performers are able to perform in white clubs. Post-war, clubs find attendance going down but the new sound of bebop draws audiences to the Apollo.

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Pages: 25

Chapter 6: The 1950s: Rockin'

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Sonny Til; Bobby Schiffman; Frank Schiffman; Deborah Chessler; Ruth Brown; Johnny Otis; Ahmet Ertegun; Joe Turner; William Spayne; Clyde McPhatter; Jerry Leiber; Mike Stoller; Doc Pomus; Mort Shuman; Jay Hawkins; Bo Diddley; Buddy Holly; Niki Sullivan; Bobby Darin; Buddy Rich; Jerry Lee Lewis; Charlie Barnet; The Four Seasons; The Chords; The Crew Cuts; Georgia Gibbs; Leslie Uggams; Esther Phillips; Dinah Washington; Little Willie John; James Brown; St. Clair Pinckney; Danny Ray; Frankie Lymon; Jerome Gourdine; Dr. Jive; Douglas Henderson; Bobby Robinson; Leonard Reed; Miguelito Valdes; Tito Puente; Joe Loco; Mercedita Valdes; Gilberto Valdes; Mongo Santamaria; Sid Torin; Anibal Vazquez; Reuben Phillips; Harold Cromer

Synopsis: The sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll emerge from the Apollo during the early 1950s. However, the staging format at the Apollo falls behind the times as disc jockeys become the industry's new kingmakers.

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Pages: 31

Chapter 7: Roots: Blues and Gospel at the Apollo

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Bobby Schiffman; T-Bone Walker; B. B. King; Jimmy Witherspoon; Bobby Bland; Sonny Terry; Brownie McGhee; Odetta; John Hammond; Frank Schiffman; Lead Belly; Eddie Vinson; Dinah Washington; Wynonie Harris; Johnny Otis; Maxine Brown; Rosetta Tharpe; Thurman Ruth; Dionne Warwick; Beverly Lee; Leonard Reed; Alex Bradford; The Swanee Quintet; Clara Ward; Albertina Walker; The Dixie Hummingbirds; The Swan Silvertones; The Staple Singers; Aretha Franklin; The Soul Stirrers; Sam Cooke; Jerome Gourdine; The Drinkard Sisters

Synopsis: Blues and gospel performers have difficulty finding an audience at the Apollo, as the managers assume their music is too rural for Harlem's urban crowd. In the 1950s both styles begin to break out as acts at the Apollo and performers such as James Brown bridge the gospel and pop styles.

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Pages: 13

Chapter 8: The 1960s: Soulful

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Syd Nathan; James Brown; Lucas Gonder; Bobby Schiffman; Honi Coles; Frank Schiffman; Percy Sutton; Ray Charles; Jackie Wilson; Beverly Lee; Sam Cooke; Nancy Wilson; Cannonball Adderley; Dionne Warwick; Reuben Phillips; Berry Gordy; Ahmet Ertegun; Jerry Wexler; Scoey Mitchell; Eddie Holland; Lamont Dozier; Brian Holland; Smokey Robinson; Cholly Atkins; Marvin Gaye; Gladys Knight; Sam Moore; Dave Prater; Fidel Castro; Otis Redding; Ben E. King; Solomon Burke; John Hammond; Peter Long; Elvin Jones; Jimmy Garrison; McCoy Tyner; John Coltrane; Lionel Hampton; Thelonious Monk; Bill Cosby; Count Basie; Billy Eckstine; Richard Pryor; Redd Foxx; Miriam Makeba; Maxine Brown

Synopsis: The Apollo becomes more successful than ever during the 1960s as Ray Charles breaks out with soul music and books Motown groups. James Brown records a live album at the Apollo, encouraging more artists to do likewise. However, increasing social unease in Harlem results in smaller white audiences.

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Pages: 27

Chapter 9: The 1970s: Funky

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Sam Moore; Dave Prater; Gladys Knight; The Jackson 5; Diana Ross; James Brown; Richard M. Nixon; Danny Ray; St. Clair Pinckney; Bobby Schiffman; Dionne Warwick; Nancy Wilson; The Three Degrees; The O'Jays; The Delfonics; The Stylistics; The Spinners; Patti Labelle; Kenny Gamble; Leon Huff; Thom Bell; Harold Melvin; The Blue Notes; Teddy Pendergrass; Leslie Uggams; Smokey Robinson; Percy Sutton; Clarence Jones; Wilson Pickett; Willis Reed; Paul Simon; Charles Rangel; Ralph McDonald; Sister Sledge; Sparky Martin; Bob Marley; Francis Thomas; George Clinton; The Brides of Frankenstein; Sam Cooke; Chick Webb; Dinah Washington

Synopsis: As the Apollo goes through difficult financial times many famous performers continue to appear there at a loss, simply to keep the theater open. As more opportunities open up for black performers the prestige of the Apollo lessens. Harlem itself is seen as a low priority for New York as crime in the neighborhood rises, spilling into the theater itself. The original family owners sell the theater in 1976.

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Pages: 24

Afterword: How the Apollo Got Its Groove Back (The End - and a New Beginning)

Story on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Penciller(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Inker(s): James Otis Smith (credited)

Colorist(s): James Otis Smith (tones) (credited)

Letterer(s): ?

Subject Matter

Genres: historical, non-fiction

Character(s): Percy Sutton; Billy Mitchell; Bob Geldof; Andy Warhol; Dick Cavett; Coretta Scott King; Bill Cosby; Stevie Wonder; Al Green; Patti Labelle; Little Richard; Mavis Staples; Wilson Pickett; Chuck Jackson; Barbra Streisand; B. B. King; LL Cool J; Run-DMC; Doug E. Fresh; Ice Cube; Public Enemy; Juice Crew All-Stars; Ralph Cooper; Richard D. Parsons; Beverly Sills; Pharrell Williams; Barack Obama; Bill Clinton; Metallica; Jay-Z; Chris Rock; Francis Thomas; Jonelle Procope; Cassandra Wilson; Common; Angela Bassett; Black Thought

Synopsis: After a decline in its fortunes, the Apollo is retooled in the 1980s and expands into television.

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Pages: 9

A Note on Sources and Methods

Foreword, Introduction, Preface, Afterword on Interior Page(s)

Credits

Writer(s): Ted Fox (credited)

Letterer(s): typeset

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Pages: 2