1. Harlem Renaissance: Josephine Baker and Tina Turner
By Tyler Rose Theriault
March 21, 2017

2. Josephine Baker! Singer and Dancer ! Popular in entertainment !
Honored for her many efforts during the Harlem Renaissance and in France!

3. Josephine’s Beginning
She was born on June 3rd
Her name was Freda Josephine McDonald.
Lived in St. Louis, Missouri.
Lived her life in poverty before learning to dance and being successful on Broadway.
Her parents were Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson.
Her mother had dreams of being a dancer and her father was a Vaudeville drummer.
Her Father Eddie abandoned Carrie and Josephine not long after she was born.

4. Struggles She’s Overcome
At the age of 8 years old, Josephine cleaned houses and babysat for rich white families who treated her bad most the time well she is trying to help support her family.
At the age 13 she ran away, worked as a waitress in a club, then married a man named Willie Wells and weeks later got divorced.
In 1936, She came to the US to preform in Ziegfield Follies, But got mistreated and went back to France.
In the US she was trying to preform when she was faced with generally hostile, racist reaction. She felt that France embraced like one of there own people other than her home country.
1950’s-60’s she devoted herself to fighting segregation and racism in the US.

5. Josephine’s Contribution to the Harlem Renaissance
During the 1950s, Josephine often returned to the US to give support to the Civil Rights Movement, Participated in demonstrations and boycotted segregated clubs and concerts.
Josephine would only perform in crowds that were non-segregated.
In 1963, she participated alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the March on Washington and was in the middle of the many notable speakers that day as well.
In honor of her efforts the NAACP eventually named May 20th “Josephine Baker Day”

6. Facts about Josephine Baker
In 1919 she toured the US with the Jones Family Band and Dixie Steppers performing comedic skits.
She got her skills from both clubs and in street performances.
In 1920s, she moved to France and then became one of Europe’s most popular and highest paid performer.
During her years in France she worked for the French Resistance, and during World War 2 she worked for the Red Cross during the occupation of France.
She was a member of the Free French forces, she entertained troops in both Africa and Middle East.
She sometimes smuggled messages hidden in her sheet music and even her underwear during her French forces years. She even got awarded the Croix De Guerin and The Legion of Honor with the Rosette of the Resistance for her efforts.

7. Facts Continued
In 1921, she married Willie Baker.
She got divorced years later but kept his name.
When she moved to New York City and performed in “chocolate Dandies” with Ethel Waters.
She got to perform in the floor show room of the Plantation Club which had her become a crowd favorite quickly.
Josephine Baker’s career made a huge turning point at the Folies Bergere music hall performing in the “ La Folic Du Jour”.
She danced wearing little more than a skirt made of 16 bananas and she was very popular with the Parisian audience.
She also danced with Joe Alex, performing in the “Danse Sauvage”.
She only wore a feather skirt. A lot of her dances or entertainment were done with her wearing mainly a skirt and no top.

8. More Facts!
Josephine had cultural figures who admired her like Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and E.E. Cummings.
She was so admired she was given nick names like “ Black Venus”, “Black Pearl” and had more than 1000 marriage proposals.
In 1930, she sang professionally for the first time then got film roles as a singer.
She came into money which then abled her to get an estate in Casteninaud Fagrac, in France. She named it Les Milandes. Then paid to have her family moved there from St. Louis.
In 1950’s, after marrying French Orchestra Leader Jo Bouillion she adopted babies all around the world.
She adopted a total of 12 children calling them her “ Rainbow Tribe” and “experiment in brotherhood”. She also invited people over often to show them people of different races could live together happily.

9. Josephine Bakers Death
April 12th 1975, Josephine Baker died in her sleep from a cerebral hemorrhage.
She was only 69 when she passed away.
The day of her funeral, more than 20,000 people lined the streets in Paris and the French government honored her with a 21 gun salute.
She was the first American women in history to be buried in France with a military honors.

10. Influenced by Baker… Tina Turner
Tina was influenced by Josephine Baker mainly by her common interest in fashion.
Her fan sequins, feathers, and mini dresses.
In almost all of her performances Turner wore feathers and mini dresses just like Baker. Turner like the mini dresses to show off her legs as of Baker like to perform in mini dresses and skirts.
Turner also had “electrifying” performances which Turner and her duo at one point were very well known for; as of Baker gave spirited entertainment and known for being glamorous.

11. Tina Turner Dancer and Singer!
Known for her “Electrifying” performance!
“Rock an Roll”

12. Tina Turners Beginning
Born in Nutbush Tennessee, November 26th 1939.
Parents were Floyd and Zelma Bullock who ended up splitting up early in Tina’s life.
Both her parents up and left Tina and her sister to be raised by there grandmother.
In the 1950’s, when her grandmother died she went to live with her mother in St. Louis, Missouri.
Barely in her teens, Tina immersed herself in St. Louis R&B scene, she spent a lot of her time at the Club Manhattan.
In 1956, She then met “ Rock-&- Roll” pioneer Ike Turner, she performed with the group and became the highlight of the show.
Her performing began !

13. Life Struggles Tina Turner overcame!
At a early age her parents spilt up, she went to live with her grandma then went through her grandmas death and moved to St. Louis to live with her mother again.
At a young age wanting to be involved with music and express her voice.
She end up meeting Ike Turner, was part of his duo, then married him and he ended up putting her through 16 years of abuse and suicide attempts. Ike was also a drug addict and ended up dying of a drug over dose in 2007.
Because of Ike she performed many times after being abused with injuries and a broken jaw. She ended up fighting back and getting away.
She then went through a divorce with Ike, fought to keep the name Turner and nothing else. Had “36 cents and a gas station gift card” to take care of her children. She used food stamps and cleaned houses to make ends meet.
Her solo career started off at a slow.

14. Tina Turner Facts!
1960’s, one singer failed to show for a recording session, Turner ended up sing the lead on the track “ A Fool in Love”, the song became a huge R&B success.
This was the start of Tina and Ike Turner being in a group together and Ike new Tina’s voice would be famous.
After the success of “ A Fool in Love” a release of follow up singles became a success as of “ Its Ganna Work Out Fine”, “Poor Fool”, and “ Tra La La La La”.
These singles ended up being big hits and leading them to popularity.
As they became more and more popular, Ike and Tina got married in Tijuana, Mexico in 1962.
Two years later they had a son named Ronnie. They had a total of 4 sons, one from an earlier relationship of Tina’s and two from Ike and his early relationship.

15. Facts Cont’d
1966, Tina and Ike recorded the album “River Deep, Mountain High” which was a success with the record producer Phil Spector.
This track was unsuccessful in the US but a huge hit in England and brought them new fame. The duo of Ike and Tina Turner was well known for there “electrifying” performance with out collecting a lot of hits.
1969, they won themselves more fans with the tour as the opening act for the Rolling Stones. 1971, there popularity grew as well as releasing the album “Working Together”.
This album “Working Together” was a slow to fast remake of the CCR track “Proud Mary” that ended up reaching top 5 in the US charts and also won them there first Grammy.
1973, “Nutbush City Limits” landed them top 5 in the UK which was a rock-country sout jam by Tina her self.
Which helped people recognize her on going talent with out the duo.

16. More Facts !
Tina played in some films, 1975 was her first film playing the Acid Queen in the who’s Tammy and 1985 she starred opposite Mel Gibson in the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdrome.
She contributed the No. 2 pop song “ We Don’t Need Another Hero”.
She released a solo album Private Dancer and it was said to overwhelming critical popular success.
It won four Grammy Awards and sold more then 20 million copies worldwide.
1986, she published her autobiography, I, Tina, which later was adopted as the film What’s Love Got To Do With It.
This movie expressed Tina’s beginning as a new singer, performer, and her relationship life she went through with Ike Turner.
1986, the release of Turners second solo album Break Every Rule, featuring the fun “ Typical Male”

17. The Later Years of Tina Turner!
2008, the iconic entertainer embarked on her “ Tina” 50th anniversary tour. This tour became one of the Highest- selling ticketed shows of 2008 and 2009.
She did announce it would be her final tour and essentially retire from the music business save for occasional appearances and recordings.
2013, Turner announced at age 73 she was engaged to marry her longtime partner, German record executive Erwin Bach. In July of 2013 they got married in Zurich Switzerland.
Its good she got her happy ending after so many years of abuse and struggle.

18. Quiz
In which country did Josephine Baker feel she was excepted as one of there own?
True or False: did Baker give support in the Civil Rights movements in the U.S.?
Why did Baker adopt so many children from all around the world?
In what year did Tina become part of a duo and meet Ike Turner?
What sole album did Tina Turner release that landing four Grammy Awards and sold 20 million copies worldwide?

19. Work Cited
Brown, Nikki. “ 15 Stylish Celebs Influenced By Josephine Baker.” STYLEBLAZER. June 3rd , Web. 3 March
Biography.com Editors. “ Josephine Baker Biography.” The Biography.com Website. July 8th, Web. 20 March.2017.
Biography.com Editors. “ Tina Turner Biography.” Biography.com Website. August 23rd,2016. Web. 21 March.2017.

20. Answers To The Quiz 1). France 2). True
3). To show people different races could in fact live together harmoniously.
4). 1960
5). Private Dancer