Sophie Tucker
January 13, 1884 – February 9, 1966
Born in Russia to Jewish parents, Sophie Tucker started her life as Sophia Kalish. Her mother and father emigrated from Russia to Connecticut where she spent most of her youth working in the family restaurant. She would go on to become a vaudeville sensation who challenged the role of women and image in American society.
Sophie married Louis Tuck in 1903, had a son, and divorced soon after. In 1906 she changed her name to Sophie Tucker and left home for New York leaving her son with her parents.
In New York she earned a living singing in a vaudeville show, but there was a catch. The producers of the show required her to perform in blackface because in their eyes she was too overweight and unattractive to perform any other way. She agreed to their conditions. As a starving artist she wasn’t in much of a position to negotiate.
One night she arrived to her show, but her wardrobe and makeup didn’t. She went onstage without her blackface makeup and was a hit. After that, she never wore the makeup again. Regardless of the way she looked, her powerful voice wowed audiences again and again.
She continued to have an amazing career that found her in bigger parts and even her own shows. As a stage performer she shared the stage with Jack Benny, Fanny Brice, and even Will Rogers.
She continued to be larger than the norm for that time and was often asked to lose weight, but instead of following the advice she capitalized on her looks. She made a career by appearing to find herself sexy and confident in spite of her less than beautiful looks. And while many people found her act very funny, Sophie was laughing all the way to the bank.
Sophie Tucker was a woman ahead of her time. She challenged the status quo and was able to succeed in spite of the fact that she didn’t have movie star good looks. She appeared in more than ten films appearing alongside Judy Garland. She became famous for songs such as Some of These Days and Red Hot Mama, which could be heard on radio waves across the country.
Near the end of her life, Sophie was frequently seen on television on the Ed Sullivan Show. She also continued to perform on stage in clubs during the 50s and 60s. In her later life she added philanthropist to her many titles as a supporter of many charities.
On her Birthday in 1957 CBS Radio Workshop dedicated the show to her and in person Miss Sophie Tucker looks back on her life from the young girl who loved to sing and who left her home in Hartford Connecticut with $100 in her pocket. She was young then but she knew she had it in her to succeed. In No Time For Heartaches 73 year-old Sophie Tucker recalls her story over the last 53 years and how she got from that young girl to now.
You can hear this story now on RUSC on this day 124 years after her birth. The historical value of OTR never ceases to amaze me.
Happy listening my friends,
