Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff

The "First Lady of Show Business" and the "Last of the Red Hot Mamas," Sophie Tucker was a star in vaudeville, radio, film, and television. A gutsy, song-belting stage performer, she entertained audiences for sixty years and inspired a host of younger women, including Judy Garland, Carol Channing, and Bette Midler. Tucker was a woman who defied traditional expectations and achieved success on her own terms, becoming the first female president of the American Federation of Actors and winning many other honors usually bestowed on men. Dedicated to social justice, she advocated for African Americans in the entertainment industry and cultivated friendships with leading black activists and performers. Tucker was also one of the most generous philanthropists in show business, raising over four million dollars for the religious and racial causes she held dear.… (mer)

When the book focused on Tucker, it was good. However, there was a great majority of many chapters that gave a historical perspective of what was going on in the world, in vaudeville, etc. that was tedious to get through. As someone already familiar with Sophie Tucker and those times, I did not need the history lesson. I would have liked more follow-up on what happened to her son before his death as well as to Ted Shapiro. While it would not have been possible to list all of Tucker's personal appearances, there were no appendices detailing film appearances, tv appearances, and radio appearances which I would have found of interest.… (mer)