Amateur night at the Apollo

Library Journal

Dancer-turned-emcee Cooper, host of weekly amateur contests at Harlem's Apollo Theatre from 1934 to the present, recounts the victories and defeats of young entertainers as they sought the favor of the notoriously vocal Apollo audiences. Speaking in hip show-biz lingo, the often self-serving and name-dropping Cooper recalls Apollo debuts of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, James Brown, and others, and describes Harlem life during the Prohibition era and the height of the Cotton Club. Illustrated with many large photos, this book will entertain anyone interested in the development of popular music, particularly soul and R&B, even as it casts light on the racism and dishonesty that victimized black entertainers.-- Paul Baker, CUNA Inc., Madison, Wis.