Today on Google and in honor of UK Black History Month they celebrate the 122nd birthday of Adelaide Hall, American-born, UK-based jazz singer and performer.  Hall was was one of the world's first jazz singers and a significant entertainer of the Harlem Renaissance.

Hall was born on this day, October 20 in 1901 in Brooklyn, New York.  Adelaide's father taught her and her sister piano from a young age.  She began her career singing in the chorus line for Shuffle Along (1921), a popular all-black musical on Broadway that helped establish African American show business.  In 1925, Hall embarked on a European tour for Chocolate Kiddies played in numerous cities including Hamburg, Geneva, Paris and Vienna.  The show was a resounding international success.  Later, she returned to Manhattan and continued performing on Broadway's biggest stages.

Her breakout moment came in 1927 when she hummed along to a show tune by Duke Ellington.  The jazz star was entranced by her wordless yet moving melody and asked her to record it with his band.  A year later, that same song, Creole Love Call, landed on the American billboard charts at #19 and just like that .. scat singing was born!  It wasn't long before Adelaide Hall became a household name in both the United States and in Europe.

Soon after, Hall joined the cast of Blackbirds of 1928. The musical ran for more than 500 performances and attracted over a million viewers before moving to the Moulin Rouge in Paris.  The audiences in Europe welcomed her with open arms so much so that she decided to permanently move to the UK in 1938.  Her international success only grew from there.

Hall's entertainment career spanned an impressive eight decades.  Her songs continue to move listeners with each note and lyric and her legacy lives on in the hearts of many. 

Adelaide was a true pioneer and possessed a rare gift .. a voice that could move mountains and a talent for dance that enchanted audiences worldwide.  She ushered in the era of scat music, influencing genres from jazz to pop, R&B and hip-hop.  Her legs, which personally taught Queen Elizabeth II the "Charleston", were once insured for an impressive sum of $500,000!  Her era saw her rise as one of the wealthiest and most beloved black women in America and in the UK.  So, let's cheer for the "Sophisticated Lady" herself, Ms. Adelaide Hall. Happy Birthday, Addie.  We love and miss you dearly.

Marisa Lewis, a Hall family relative