Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born U.K.-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than seventy years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.Adelaide was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Elizabeth and Arthur William Hall and was taught to sing by her father. She began her stage career in 1921 on Broadway in the chorus line of the Broadway musical Shuffle Along and went on to appear in a number of similar black musical shows including Runnin' Wild on Broadway in 1923, Chocolate Kiddies in 1925 (European tour) that included songs written by Duke Ellington, My Magnolia on Broadway in 1926, Tan Town Topics with songs written by Fats Waller and in Desires of 1927 (American tour in 1927).
A 1929 colour lithograph poster designed by the French graphic artist Paul Colin depicting Adelaide Hall was sold in New York in 2003 for $176,500.00. The poster was designed to publicise the Broadway musical revue 'Blackbirds' that transferred to the Moulin Rouge, Paris in 1929 which starred Adelaide Hall.
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Adelaide Hall appears in the earliest post-war BBC tele-recording in which she performs 2 songs, plays a ukulele and dances accompanied by the BBC orchestra recorded live during her performance at RadiOlympia, London in October 1947.
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In 2003 the Guinness Book of World Records honored Adelaide Hall with the following citation: "Adelaide Hall is the most durable recording artist having released material over eight consecutive decades. The jazz singer's first record 'Creole Love Call' was recorded with Duke Ellington on 26 October 1927, and her last was made on 16 June 1991 at the Cole Porter Centennial Gala.".
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Love from Judy
1953
TV Movie
Butterfly
Night and the City
1950
Singer (scenes deleted)
The Thief of Bagdad
1940
Singer
Dancers in the Dark
1932
Gloria Bishop (singing voice, uncredited)
A Son of Satan
1924
Chorus (unconfirmed)
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Variety in Sepia
1947
TV Movie performer: "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba My Bambino Go to Sleep"
The Thief of Bagdad
1940
performer: "Hungarian Lullabye" - uncredited
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show
1935
Short performer: "To Have You, To Hold You" - uncredited
$200,000
