 
Truly a Renaissance man, Emett Babe Wallace, born 1909 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the epitome of a “show-biz" person. After
becoming
a bouncer for Harlem's Savoy Ballroom at age 19, he went on to
eventually
perform as a singer there. He also performed in the most noted venues
worldwide;
including Small’s Paradise, The Apollo Theater and The Cotton
Club.
Around
1940,
he fronted Ella Fitzgerald’s band and in 1956, went on to reside in
Israel,
where he became a popular recording artist for the Blue Jazz record
label,
singing in English and Yiddish. From there he took Europe by storm
performing
in Spain, France, Germany and Holland, sharing the stage with the likes
of Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Della Reese, Johnny Otis and Cab
Calloway
to name a few.
As an actor, Babe is among the early pioneers of Black Cinema, starring in numerous films alongside some of the finest names in the industry. His career took flight, when in 1943 he co-starred in the 20th Century Fox classic "Stormy Weather”, with Lena Horne and Bill Robinson. He went on to perform in stage musicals such as “Anna Lucasta ” in London during 1947, “ Les Folies Bergere ” in Paris during 1952 (appearing as the first Black male star), and “Guys and Dolls” on Broadway during 1976, with Robert Guillaume and James Randolph. In 1989, he was presented the prestigious Paul Robeson Award by the Black American Cinema Society, along with Marla Gibbs.
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