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Zaidee Jackson (December 30, 1897 – December 15, 1970) was an American-born jazz, spiritual and pop music singer, dancer and actress who was well known in the United States and Europe.

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Zaidee Williams Jackson
Born	(1897-12-30)December 30, 1897 Augusta, Georgia
Died	December 15, 1970(1970-12-15) (aged 71) Waterbury, Connecticut
Nationality	American, Romanian
Occupation	Dancer, singer, actress
Years active	1924–58
Spouses	James Jackson ​ (m. 1920⁠–⁠1927)​ Barbu Neamțu ​ (m. 1938⁠–⁠1955)​
Musical career
Genres	Spirituals, music hall, jazz, traditional pop
Instrument(s)	Vocals, piano
Labels	Columbia, Duophone Records, Odeon
Musical artist

Early life

Zaidee Jackson was born in Augusta, Georgia in the winter of 1897 to C.J. and Alice Jackson,[1] who were both sharecroppers in Berrien County, Georgia.

Sometime after moving to Europe, she began using 1900 as her birth year.

Zaidee had three older siblings, Ora Lee, Era and Sol Jackson. Sometime in late 1900, Alice left her husband and children, taking only Zaidee, and moved north to Boston, Massachusetts, where she met and married Fred Williams. Zaidee soon took her stepfather's last name. In 1902, Alice and Fred had their own child, Corinna.

On July 6, 1920, Zaidee married James Jackson, but the unhappy marriage was brief, and on December 6, 1922, James abandoned his wife and relocated to Harlem. Around this time, Zaidee became acquainted with pianist Lawrence Brown, who had been working as an elevator operator and studying in Boston, and who was soon touring Europe with Roland Hayes.

Career

Early career (1924–1927)

From late-1924 to early-1925, Zaidee left home, travelling across the South as actress with the Andrew Bishop Players, an extension of the old Lafayette Players Company. The company toured Tennessee and Kentucky performing its play, "Paid In Full".

By Mid-1925, Zaidee became the lead performer of Walter Sweatman's Creole Revue, touring the Eastern Seaboard and Canada.[2]

In January 1926, director David Belasco cast Zaidee in Broadway's latest lurid melodramatic play, "Lulu Belle".[3] The mixed cast consisted of 100 Black and 15 White performers, the stars being major Black actresses such as Evelyn Preer, Ollie Burgoyne, Mattie Wilkes and Fannie Belle de Knight. Zaidee had a minor role in the beginning of the play as a Harlem entertainer in the fictional Elite Grotto nightclub. Opening February 9, 1926, at the Belasco Theatre, the show performed successful 461 times before closing on May 16. Afterhours, Zaidee was also performing at Harlem's Club Alabam, known for its semi-nude Josephine Baker-esque revues.

Between August–November 1926, Zaidee recorded six Blues records accompanied by James P. Johnson, Otto Harwick and Duke Ellington. Only four recordings were released.

In Late-November, Zaidee and several other castmates from "Lulu Belle" were hired by Black film director, Oscar Micheaux, to appear in his latest horror film, *The Spider's Web*. Filming began that winter in Baltimore. Micheaux's *The Spider's Web* was released on January 6, 1927.[4]

In February 1927, Zaidee ran into her estranged husband in Harlem and filed for divorce.

In April, she appeared in "Desires of 1927" at the Lafayette Theatre. The revue was staged and produced by Irvin C. Miller with Adelaide Hall as its star.

In July, Zaidee was cast as Magnolia in Miller & Lyle's, "Rang Tang", which opened July 12 for 112 performances at the Majestic Theatre.[5] The two-act musical comedy was set in Madagascar and Harlem and featured Flournoy Miller, Aubrey Lyles, Daniel Haynes and Josephine Hall.

After its Broadway run closed on October 22, the show prepared to go on the road. However, Lawrence Brown (who was touring Europe with Paul Robeson) convinced Zaidee to visit him in Paris while Robeson was away celebrating the birth of his son.

In November 1927, Zaidee sailed from New York to France, leaving behind America's systematic racism and trading in on the French fascination for "Negro" culture.[6]

French and British career (1928–1933)

Throughout January–February 1928, Zaidee was in Cannes, performing at the KitKat cabaret. Her performances sparked the interest of numerous members of the British elite such as Elsa Maxwell, the Duke of Kent, and especially the Countess of Carnarvon, who purchased Jackson's plane ticket to London in May.

In June 1928, she was the star of "Playtime at the Piccadilly" at London's Piccadilly Hotel. This annual revue was a success. Every afternoon, she slipped away to perform on BBC-Radio. Afterhours, she also doubled at the illustrious Uncles Club.

On August 28, Zaidee recorded two Blues numbers with HMV Records accompanied by pianist Carroll Gibbons, which were never released. In Late-September, she recorded the American folk song, Waterboy, twice with British Duophone. Each recording was rejected.

In October 4, Zaidee was hired by director Albin Limpus to perform Spirituals and Folk songs accompanied by Winifred Smith's Orchestra every afternoon before the curtains raised on May Eginston's latest play, "Deadlock", at the Comedy Theatre.[7] The play ran for 17 days before closing. In-between singing daily at the Comedy, nightly at the Piccadilly, she also found time to record four songs for British Duophone, which were released to public with overwhelming success.

In November, once her contract with the Piccadilly ended, Zaidee returned to Paris to perform for a week at the Plantation Cabaret with Eddie South's Orchestra. While in Paris, she witnessed Afro-British pianist Reginald Forsythe performing in local club and she quickly recruited him as her new pianist. On November 12, Zaidee and Reggie flew back to London on the Imperial Air Lines for a weeks engagement at the Café Anglais.[8] During this engagement, she recorded four more songs for British Parlophone. Eventually, Forsythe struck up a friendship with leading Harlem musical theatre tenor, Walter Richardson and the duo soon departed for a year-long Australian tour. At the end of the month, Zaidee returned to Paris alone, performing at the Lido des Champs-Elysées with Eddie South's orchestra.

In January 1929, Zaidee returned to London, recording one song with Metropole Records and four unissued songs with Duophone. Returning to Paris on January 26, she performed at the opening Ada "Bricktop" Smith's latest nightclub. Shortly afterwards, Zaidee purchased a comfortable apartment on the Rue Chalgrin, a small right-angle street in the Chaillot district, where she held intimate cocktail parties before whisking her guests over to the Bal Negre cabaret to dance the Biguine. On April 6, Jackson converted her apartment into small cabaret (short-lived unfortunately), Chez Zaïdée, imitating Josephine Baker's own French nitery. Throughout the spring, she was invited to sing at Countee Cullen's small house party near the rue Pigalle and at black dancer Louis Cole's birthday party at his large apartment near the Trocadero.[9]

Throughout the summer of 1929, Zaidee performed regularly at the famous Boeuf Sur Le Toits, Chez Florence and Floresco's before she was left hospitalized on July 27 with a sprained ankle. In-between these engagements, she frequently flew back to London for quick radio appearances. She often traveled on Guy Robson's private plane, who occasionally enjoyed showing off with his stunt flying, turning flips over the Channel.

In November 1929, Zaidee returned to Britain for an extensive 8-month provincial tour organized by her manager, E.J. Bonner, appearing in Manchester, Birkenhead, Bristol, Glasgow, Blackpool, Sheffield and Dublin.

Between January and April 1930, she recorded six more songs with British Parlophone.

In June 1930, towards the end of the tour, Reggie Forsythe returned to Europe and accompanied Zaidee once again. On June 13, Zaidee was back in Paris, with a four month contract with Russian-themed Sheherazade Cabaret.[10] Between June–August 1930, she returned to London to record her six final songs with British Parlophone.

That fall, Zaidee departed for a three-month German tour. In November, she was appearing in at Berlin's famous Kabarett der Komiker. Unfortunately, the German press wrote mixed reviews for her singing, which most German audiences felt was barely audible in their large concert halls.

In January 1931, she returned to Paris for a well received months' engagement at the L'Ange Bleu Bar. The following month, she continued her European tour, appearing in Budapest at the Royal Hotel, accompanied by Russian pianist, Suponitzkaya. Her performance were broadcast nightly on Hungarian radio stations.

Returning to Paris in June, at the height of the Paris Colonial Exposition, she appeared in a new cabaret, La Jungle-Montmartre, performing her intimate songs with Reginald Forsythe beside her with his piano. However, eventually her companion Reggie was eventually whisked away with another band.

After the Exposition closed in November, she moved over Le Miami Club (quitting after they failed to pay her) and later the New Marine Club. That winter, George White offered her some of the music scores from his Broadway production, Scandals of 1931, probably with the intention of her joining the show or simply for a recording session that never materialized.

Throughout January–April 1932, Zaidee relocated to Cannes, opening her latest nightclub, Sous le Maquis, hoping to have Josephine Baker as her headliner. The establishment was briefly successful, but she eventually decided to return to Paris.

In May, she began a six-month residence at Le Bosphore (another Russian cabaret) and Chez Zelli's (an American themed nightclub). In July, she also began performing at the Sheherazade cabaret as well,[11] singing and dancing eccentrically for her friends, Pizella, Maurice Chevalier and Prince Yusupov. In August, she departed for month to the resort town of St. Jean de Luz for a month engagement at the Maxim Bar. The following month, while performing a "Russian Act" at the Sheherazade, she planned for a trip to Moscow, which never came together.

In December, she returned to London, with a major role in William Walker's, "Ballyhoo Revue", which opened December 22 at the Comedy Theatre. The cast included Hermione Baddeley, Walter Crisham, Phyllis Clare, Pearl Argyle and Leon Morton.

The two-act revue was devised and staged by William Walker and Robert Nesbitt. Dances and Ballets staged by Buddy Bradley and Frederick Ashton. Zaidee made her initial appearance in Act 1 in the fourth sketch, "Black Magic", performing a gloomy blues number (Black Magic), while Crisham and the chorus girls danced around her. She returned again in sketch 12, "Mediterranean Madness", performing a much more lively number. She made her final appearance in Act 2 in the slow melancholic sketch, "I've Got The Wrong Man".

The British press was extremely critical of the revue, although the dance and ballet number were considered stellar, the singing of Phyllis Clare wasn't received well and Zaidee's voice wasn't considered "Harlem" enough for the show. Often her voice would be drowned out by the singing of the chorus girls.

On March 17, 1933, Zaidee returned to her regular appearance on BBC Radio. She also began doubling at the Blue Train nightclub. In the meantime, film director Andrew Buchanan took her on screen, appearing in two short films with the Ideal Cine-Magazine, *I've Got the Wrong Man* and *Black Magic*.[12] With Decca Records, she record several numbers from the show, such as the comedy number, Pink Elephants, I’ve Got the Wrong Man and Black Magic.

Once "Ballyhoo" closed April 22 and reopened nine days later on May 1 at the Leicester Square Theatre.

However, Zaidee soon bailed on the show, returning to Paris to perform at the Robinson nightclub.

In June, she starred in Joe Zelli's brand new cabaret, Chez Les Nudistes, where Zaidee appeared semi-nude in an extravagant revue, "Au Dela... des Reins", for the next four months.[13] She also doubled at the Sheherazade, Le Grand Ecart and Le Bosphore cabarets. In September 1933, she took a month off to appear in Saint Jean-de-Luz at the Auberge Club.

The French Riviera, Monaco & Switzerland (1934–1935)

Although the Depression arrived in France in 1931, it didn't seriously affect the country until early-1934, causing the economy to fall apart and public demonstrations were sprouting everywhere. Besides her occasional appearances in Paris at the Hotel Ritz, Sheherazade and Le Bosphore cabarets, Zaidee soon began touring the French Riviera, appearing in Juan-les-Pins, Évian-les-Bains, Cannes and Monte Carlo.

In February 1935, Zaidee moved to Switzerland, where she appeared for ten-months with Benny Peyton's Jazz Kings orchestra. They appeared in Zurich, Ouchy, Lausanne, Berne, Neuchatel and Geneva. In-between engagements, Zaidee frequently returned to France for appearances in Saint Jean-de-Luz and Paris at Fred Payne's Bar.

Romania (1936–1939)

In February 1936, as the annual Rallye Monte Carlo came to a close, Zaidee was introduced to one of the racers, 32-year old Barbu Neamțu, a wealthy Romanian mechanical engineer who was a great sportsman and Ford representative.[14]

Barbu was born c.1904 in Craiova, a city of 100,000 located in the midst of the rich agricultural territory of Southwestern Romania. He was the eldest of six children of Eugenia Albeanu and Constantin Neamtu. Besides being wealthy landowner, 69-year old Constantin Neamtu had an expensive Romanian and Belgian education and was a professor, the director of the Romanian National Bank (Craiova Branch), director of Craiova's Commerce Bank and a local politician.

From 1927-1930, Barbu had traveled to England, studying English and Engineering while attending Cambridge University. While he was away, his father presented him with a position as a deputy of the city of Craiova. On January 16th, 1932, he became the director of a Ford-Romania truck and tractor repair and maintenance warehouse. As early as September 1933, Barbu also took speed racing as a hobby, winning numerous trophies from races held in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, France, Monaco, and around Romania.

Barbu was already in an extremely unhappy marriage, from which he had a daughter. Nevertheless, upon his return to Craiova in February 1936 from the Rallye Monte Carlo, he brought with him, his new Black mistress. This caused an immediate scandal across Craiova, especially as, according to the locals, Zaidee was the first Black woman they had ever seen in person. Local children followed her around town, attempting to rub the "Blackness" from her skin. While Barbu began divorce proceedings with his current wife, Zaidee was quickly relocated to Bucharest, residing at 7, Dacia Boulevard, a comfortable modern apartment with a French-speaking Cook.

From 1936-1937, Zaidee maintained a residency at Bucharest's Restaurant-Bar Zissu, an extremely lavish and overpriced Parisian-themed cabaret located at 5 Strada Serban Voda. She danced and performed in English, French and soon began including Romanian songs as well. She also occasionally appear at the Terasa Colonade restaurant. At some point during this period, she also departed for a brief Egyptian tour.

On October 27, 1937, Zaidee boarded the SS Queen Mary from Cherbourg back to New York.[15] Landing on November 1 (exactly a decade since her departure), she moved into the Dewey Square Hotel on Seventh Avenue and began a ten-month nightclub engagement in New York and Philadelphia. Upon arrival, she was met by American journalists, such as those of the Pittsburgh Courier:[16] "Zaidee Williams Jackson was singing sweet songs at Chez Florence in Montmartre when we met her. A slim bronze young woman, who had Paris by its ears. We wonder if anyone who has lived over there for ten years as she has can come back here to prejudice and hate and pick up where she left off. We don't doubt that she'll return to Europe where, she says ’her work is more appreciated... and more lucrative.’"

While away in America, Zaidee avoided the terribly repressive policies of the new Prime Minister, Octavian Goga, who issued numerous anti-Semitic and other xenophobic laws. During Bucharest's Expoziție Naționale, anti-Semitic and even pro-Fascist-themed displays were on exhibit. Thankfully, it was over by the spring of 1938, after Goga was dismissed as prime minister and a majority of the laws were reversed.

In March 1938, Barbu traveled to New York (his divorce must've been finalized) and moved into the Dewey Hotel with Zaidee. It's possible to couple soon became engaged and traveled to Boston to meet with Zaidee's relatives.

The couple returned to Romania in September, where they possibly wed at "Conacul Neamtu", the Neamtu family estate, located in the village of Olari [ro], an hour outside of Craiova. On September 27, Zaidee received her new passport and registered at Craiova's police station.

As expected, the marriage marred by jealousy and racial prejudice of her husband's numerous family (and the neighbors) who felt that Barbu had married beneath himself. He was accused of renouncing his family for a Negro. Zaidee, the 41-year old (although she claimed to be four years younger) Black cabaret star who could hardly speak Romanian and performed naked in Paris wasn't considered an equal to 34-year old extremely well educated and privileged Barbu. To make matters worse, the Romanian government made it difficult for Zaidee to renew her work visa, demanding that she had be an "Ethnic Romanian".[17]

In November, she returned to Paris, appearing at Jimmy Monroe's Swing Club. The following month she appeared in the revue, "Harlem au Coliseum" at the Paris-Coliseum, alongside Myrtle Watkins and the Three Dukes with music provided by Willie Lewis' Orchestra.[18]

Early 1939, despite warnings from the American Embassy of impending war, Zaidee remained in Paris, performing at Fred Payne's Bar. However, in February, she had returned home to Craiova, registering with the National Liberal Party (a party her husband's family was involved with).

Throughout the spring of 1939, she appeared regularly on Radio-Bucharest, performing popular American songs she had learned during her 1938 trip to the States. These were halcyon days for the newlyweds. Barbu was frequently away at his office in Craiova, leaving Zaidee alone in their new home and a chauffeur to drive her wherever she needed to go in one of Barbu's many luxurious British-made automobiles. She also returned to her place as the star of the Restaurant Zissu, alongside Jean Moscopol (Romania's version of Maurice Chevalier). Occasionally, she also appeared at the Maxim Zig-Zag Cabaret at 5 Strada Otelelisianu.

World War II (1940–1945)

Since the outbreak of war, across Romania, soldiers were on every corner, young men standing in long lines answering the draft. Thousands of men were boarding trucks heading for their local regiment bases. In Bucharest, the swastika flew beside the Romanian flag as King Carol made it no secret that he supported the Nazis.

On January 16, 1940, Zaidee along with various other Romanian entertainers, appeared in a Jazz concert at the Romanian Athenaeum. The concert was an immense success and increased her popularity among Romanian audiences.

Despite the progression of the war, she was able to continue working and on April 7th, Zaidee and popular singer, Maria Tănase headlined in a revue onstage at the Savoy Hall of the Cărăbuş Theater alongside the Revistă Mariana company.

Two months later,in July 1940, King Carol handed over Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, causing uproar across Romania, especially as fleeing Bessarabian refugees crowded the streets of Bucharest. Two months later, in September 1940, the king was forced into exile and General Ion Antonescu seized power for the next four years. Romania soon announced its new alliance with Nazi Germany. On October 8, German troops began crossing into Romania and soon numbered over 500,000. Although Jackson herself encountered no real trouble, she found it expedient to stay away from certain public places. The American Ford company immediately severed ties with Romania, and Barbu's SEBAR company began repairing military-grade vehicles for the Germans.

From 1940-1944, Zaidee's life was hardly interrupted by the constant changes Europe was going through. As a Romanian citizen, in a country safe from Nazi invasion (as long as they upheld their alliance), her career was basically unaffected.

However, she was a witness to German tourists and military personnel walking the streets and enjoying themselves in Bucharest's many hotels, restaurants and cabarets.

In 1943, Romania became a regular target of Allied aerial bombardment, such as the attack on the oil fields of Ploiești on August 1, 1943. In October 1943, a frustrated Barbu was forced to close his factory temporarily after a worker's strike.

By 1944, Bucharest was subjected to intense bombing on 4 and 15 April 1944, and the Luftwaffe bombed the city on August 24 and 25 after the country switched sides. Windows were shattered, buildings were gutted, and walls bore the tracks of machine-gun bullets. At night, windows were shuttered and curtains tightly drawn. There must be no visible light to guide enemy aviators. The radio echoed with news of death and destruction.

Theatres, cabarets, cinemas were shut down, if they weren't damaged by the bombs. Escaping the capital, Zaidee packed up everything and relocated to the village of Olari, safely 200 miles away from the destruction.

On August 30, 1944, Soviet troops occupied Romania. Bucharest was heavily militarized, the streets filled with soldiers, many of them looting abandoned homes. Gypsies, Jews and many other marginalized members of the lower class quickly rose to power in high government positions.

There were shortages of everything. Of course officials with big salaries could get what they wanted. Formerly well-to-do people carried their dwindling stock of goods to the immense open air market to sell for what they would bring in order to keep alive.

In 1945, SEBAR was reopened, this time to manufacture vehicles for the Soviet Union. In Bucharest, the entertainment was revived as many establishments reopened. Zaidee moved their belongings back into their house and resumed performing.

Communist Romania (1946–1956)

From 1945-1947, appeared for her final years at the Restaurant Zissu. Initially she was unable to seek work as she was refused a work permit. After six months without work, the government relented and issued her permit. However, she was only allowed a meager worker's salary of 600 leis a month. But after much protest, she was finally upgraded to an artist's salary of 1,500 leis a month. Nightly taxi cabs to and from, her jobs cost 30 leis daily, which meant spending two-thirds of her salary for transportation. Often she chose to walk two miles in the dead of night from her apartment to save money to eat since meals were no longer supplied to artists.[19]

In 1946, the Soviet government shut down SEBAR and Barbu remained in Bucharest permanently with his wife. Although engineers were in great demand, he however could get very little work as one had to be approved by the State. However, his other siblings were able to find government jobs. On August 5th, 1946, to make matters worse, during a trip to Craiova, Zaidee's purse containing 1.6 Million Lei was stolen.

On December 30, 1947, the old monarchy was abolished and Romania became an republic. The director of the Zissu closed down the popular establishment and fled to Bulgaria. Zaidee promptly found employment at the Circ Bucharest, appearing in a lavish revue, where in one of the scenes, the vibrant 50-year old Black vedette entered the stage riding on the back of a camel before performing an exotic number.

Due to the heavy censorship of Western music and culture, Zaidee surprisingly remained extremely popular amongst Romanian audiences, even with the youth, who saw her as Romania's own Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday or Josephine Baker. Despite her popularity, Zaidee encountered all sorts of prejudice and discrimination from musicians and managers.

The year 1948, after the Romanian Communist Party came to power, is when all of her troubles began.[20] That June, all businesses and establishments became nationalized by the government. Despite being an entertainer, she was still considered an employee of the state. This caused the American Embassy to declare her passport void, making any possibilities of visiting the United States impossible. Six months later, during Christmas, the Securitate (secret police) raided the Neamtu estate in Olari and declared it property of the state. Zaidee's in-laws were left outside in the snow, surrounded by their belongings.

Later, during the summer of 1949, she began corresponding with her old friend, Lawrence Brown, who was touring the Soviet Union with Paul Robeson at the time. She described the new way of life under the new government and her growing fears of her uncertain future in Romania.

On April 14, 1951, Barbu and the majority of the Neamtu family were declared "Bourgeois spies" and sent to Ghencea Penitentiary (a local Bucharest prison) for 18 months. Zaidee was unable to write or visit her husband. Eight days later, Zaidee appeared in a variety concert at the Savoy Hall of the old Cărăbuș Theater, alongside many other entertainers.

Later in September 1952, the Neamtu family was divided up and sent to various camps such as Popești Leordeni Camp, Pipera Farm, Dumbrăveni Penitentiary, Jilava Penitentiary, Peninsula Camp and Aiud Penitentiary where they were ill-fed and given the most arduous physical tasks. There was never a charge or a trial. After four years they were all released, broken and impoverished.

Zaidee soon began petitioning the American Embassy to issue a new passport to her. Initially, the Embassy was sympathetic but later became uncooperative due to the antagonism of a Hungarian woman secretary. Meanwhile, her sister, Corinna Williams-Thomas, was working indefatigably in her behalf, although writing to President Truman produced no results.[21] Zaidee wrote to Paul Robeson and William Patterson, who were both known to be close with the Communists. Neither deigned to reply.

Once Barbu was released early-1955, he received a job in the provinces and attempted to convince Zaidee to accompany him. Instead, she chose to remain in Bucharest, suggesting that they divorce. While in the process of divorcing, in April 1955, her sister wrote to President Eisenhower who promised prompt action.[22] After the divorce was finalized, Zaidee departed for a tour Romania's major cities.

Later career

In January 1956, as the result of an appeal filed by the American Civil Liberties Union with the board of Immigration Appeals, the US State Department permitted Jackson to return to the United States.[23] From Bucharest she flew to Amsterdam and changed planes directly for New York, where she was greeted with an American passport. She luckily missed the Red Scare movement, although there was still heavy prejudice against Communists (and those who had lived for several years in a Communist country). Jackson resumed her career on the American stage until 1959. During the summer of 1967, she gave brief interview in Harlem with Frank Driggs.[24]

Zaidee Jackson died on December 15, 1970, near her sister's family in Connecticut.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/40132322/
• http://www.worldcat.org/title/zaidee-jackson-interview/oclc/56098170
• http://gallica.bnf.fr/
• https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2957662/?ref_=tt_cl_t6

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