January 25, 1896 - November 1, 1927

• Florence Mills (born Florence Winfrey) was one of the greatest entertainers and singing, dancing jazz performers the world has ever seen.

• She was one of the all-time greatest stars of the black theatre, the first black international female superstar of the Twentieth century and a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance

• Florence Mills was steeped in the traditions of  African-based black music and black dance that gave the world the Spirituals ('sorrow songs'), the Blues, Ragtime, Jazz and the basis of much of today's popular culture

• She was also a truly lovable, charitable, socially and intellectually aware woman, who spoke out for the rights of her fellow African Americans.

• Florence Mills is largely forgotten and neglected today, mainly because the primitive recording techniques of the early twentieth century couldn't capture her remarkable voice, and she was never filmed, so no record of her performance remains.

• The purpose of this site is to help reclaim for her the status and respect her remarkable talents and heroic personality warrant, in the eyes of the world and of her fellow African-Americans, to whom she was so important in the 1920s.

•  Check the links below to learn about Florence Mills' true greatness, especially  The Book !  

                                    Florence Mills: Month by Month
                                   ^JUNE               
    
    1900    Counted with Winfrey family in US Census for Goat Alley, DC
   1911    Plays Lincoln Theatre, Harlem as member of the Mills Sisters
    1915    Plays Dudley Theatre DC with partner Ethel "Kinky" Caldwell (Clark)
    1917    Featured at Lincoln Theatre under own name ( first time) as "Harlem's dainty 
                sweet singer"
    1919    Plays Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, with the Panama Trio 
    1920    Stars at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre in own show Plantation Revue
    1923    Attends London party given by Lady Cunard, along with Irene Castle disguised 
                as 2nd Florence Mills
    1925    First Black female to head the bill at vaudeville's famous Palace Theatre
    1926    Featured star, with Maurice Chevalier, at Paris charity show for French legend 
                Eugenie Buffet
    1926    Mobbed by English fans when recognized at Royal Ascot races
    1927    Final London engagement of Blackbirds of 1927 closes at Strand Theatre

 

This site is presented by Bill Egan. To contact me or make suggestions (hopefully polite) e-mail me at: (replacing  [AT] with @  )
Bill [AT] FlorenceMills.com
For information on Florence Mills: Info [AT] FlorenceMills.com
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