Lew Leslie

Lew Leslie (April 15, 1888 or 1890 – March 10, 1963) was a Broadway writer and producer. Leslie got his start in show business in vaudeville in his early twenties.

Career

Although white, Lew Leslie was the first major impresario to present African-American artists on the Broadway stage. He became famous for his stage shows at the Cotton Club and later for his Blackbirds revues, which he mounted in 1926, 1928, 1930, 1933 and 1939. Blackbirds of 1928 starring Adelaide Hall,Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Tim Moore and Aida Ward. was his most successful revue and ran for over one year on Broadway, where it became the hit of the season. The sell-out show transferred to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, where it ran for three months before returning to the U.S., where it commenced an American road tour. Adelaide Hall starred in the show for just over two years. The Blackbirds revues helped advance the career of several famous artists, including Florence Mills, Adelaide Hall, Tim Moore, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Aida Ward and Lottie Gee. Leslie began his career doing a patter act in vaudeville. He had two well-known wives, torch singer Belle Baker and Ziegfeld Follies showgirl Irene Wales.