Aida Overton Walker was the foremost vaudeville and theater black star of her generation. She was nationally and even internationally famous in her brief life. She was born in 1880 in New York City, and was hailed as a singer, dancer, actress, comedian and choreographer. In 1898 she joined the legendary Bert Williams and George Walker duo and was a key member of that super famous vaudeville act. She was known as “The Queen of The Cakewalk.” She worked to free young black performers of the early 20th century from degrading hamstrings and stereotypes. She died at the young age of 34 in 1914.
Sharon Lafaye Jones (1956 – 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough success relatively late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. wikipedia
