Florence Hines
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Random blog day boo yah. As you should know Fridays is random blog day were we talk anything and everything and pretty much run with it. Today's blog is on The Black-American Drag King/Vaudeville performer Florence Hines.
Born in Ohio around 1868, little is known/documented of Florence Hines early life or how she would become an entertainer. 1890 is the earliest mention of her appearing to perform, specifically with the Sam T. Jack Creole Show. The Creole Show was an all-black review which featured various acts including singers, comedians and tableau artists. Florence Hines was part of the show as both a star and the Master of Ceremonies due to her male impersonation act. Hines was also a singer, a dance, a comedic conversationalist and a burlesque performer with a group tableau called “Beauty of the Nile” or “Doomed by Fire” which she would later direct.
In her Heyday, Hines was described as being both “The greatest living female song and dance artist” as well as “The Queen of all male impersonators”, She's particularly noteworthy for breaking existing stereotypes for minstrels and portraying men of colour in more positive light, as well as setting the bar/high standards for the Female comedians and blues singers of colour that followed her.
Hines would eventually go onto do solo work in the early 20th century. With a 1904 article which appeared in The Indianapolis Freeman of one of Hines quieter performances –of which Hines would be whistling– stating the performance was good though Hines herself wasn't in good health. It also stated that Hines was looking forwards to resuming her male impersonation work. According to a letter sent to The Chicago Entertainer in 1920 by a Vaudeville Entertainer, Hines had become a preacher in Salem, Oregon. Though the Defender would note in 1923 that Hines “recognised as the greatest male impersonator of all times and all races” had been paralyzed and invalid since 1906.
In 1924, A letter was sent to The Chicago Defender that said Hines had died on March 10th 1924 and had been buried on March 24th the same year in Santa Rosa, California. The writer was a woman named Nunnie Williams who said she was Hines's daughter who would describe Hines in the letter as “The Mother of Coloured Show Business”
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Hines
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https://www.dragkinghistory.com/1890-1906-florence-hines/
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