What happens at the murals STAYS AT THE MURALS!
The famous murals of African American entertainers in the lobby of Harlem's famed Apollo Theater are as much a part of the theatre's legend as any tough audience or amateur night win. I'm not sure of the history behind the murals like who created them or when they first appeared at the theater but I remember seeing pictures of them as a child and being mesmerized. They singlehandedly inspired my later work with collage. I'm sure I remember hearing legends like Martha Reeves speak about the unbelievable thrill of seeing her image with the Vandellas among so many, many others like Ruth Brown, Duke Ellington, Pearl Bailey and Redd Foxx!
It has recently come to my attention that starry-eyed gazing isn't all that could happen in front of the Apollo murals. Considering all of the outrageous stories of onstage, backstage, back alley, balcony and stairwell antics - that makes perfect sense! However, I wouldn't really know. Until recently, I'd only read about it in books! I have been told about the still-vivid colors of the murals, but I suspect they may look a bit different today from when they were first photographed here in black and white ...
I recognize The Shirelles, B.B. King, Pearl Bailey, James Brown, Dionne Warwick, Ben E. King, Brook Benton, Nina Simone, and Barbara McNair among others.
Legends like Carmen McCrae, Clyde McPhatter, Wilson Pickett, Arthur Prysock, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Odetta, Little Stevie Wonder and Gloria Lynn adorn this section.
Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn and "the Sweethearts of the Apollo" Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles grace this panel. And that sure looks like Redd Foxx wearing the glasses and the fez (right under Cindy Birdsong, top-left).
I see Gladys Knight and the Pips, Della Reese, Frankie Lymon, Sam & Dave, and what looks to be Joyce Bryant and a young Frankie Crocker.
There's Timmie Rogers, Big Maybelle, Godfrey Cambridge, Solomon Burke, Johnny Hartman, Harry Belafonte, Ramsey Lewis, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross and the Supremes among others.
As a teenager, I had a hilarious encounter with one of the famous comedians pictured in one of the murals. But it was NOTHING like when a friend of mine - a poet, singer-songwriter and author - met that same comedian at the murals. "Oh gosh, Corey, they are wonderful!!! The colors were so vivid. It seemed as if they were jumping right at you. The murals remind me of the early Dutch painters...the colors" she gushed.
"I was checking out the murals one night and ___ ___ touched me on the shoulder and asked, 'How about the two of us getting together and you can give me a blow job.' I was so green from North Carolina and did not have a clue what a 'blow job' was. LOL! I must have seemed so stupid to ___. I walked away from him thinking, 'What is a blow job?' LOL!! He was old when I met him and he was nasty on stage. He, through his comic stand-up on stage is the way I found out what a BJ was. He was funny" she added.
Yessss ... funny indeed! MOST INTERESTING and not quite as old and crusty as he appeared on television.
I've decided that what happens at the murals doesn't have to STAY at the murals after all. My friend's experience with the comedian so totally smashes that idea. But since I have no experiences of my own to share - what about you? Have you ever stood and gazed at the murals? What was your personal impression? Did YOU meet any celebrities soliciting blow jobs? WHAT DID YOU DO IN RESPONSE?
Comments