Harlem’s Cleo Hayes, Cotton Club Dancer And “Stormy Weather,” Actress, 1914 – 2012

June 19, 2017

Cleo Hayes was born in Greenville, Mississippi, August 18, 1914 – 2012. She was an actress, Cotton Club dancer, and a comedian.

One day she took a bus to New York and started at the newly opened Apollo Theater, as one of the Apollo “Rockettes.” After the war, with theaters wanting to cut expenses and chorus line work drying up, Cleo danced while the work lasted — at Broadway’s Café Zanzibar (below, third from left), the 845 Club, on tour with Cab Calloway, and in the film “Stormy Weather.” For almost fifty years, the resident bartender and “mixologist” at the Flash Inn in Harlem where she served regulars until 1956.

She is also known for The Chris Rock Show (1997), Been Rich All My Life (2006) and The South Bank Show (1978).

She died on May 23, 2012 in Harlem, New York.



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Harlem World Magazine, 2521 1/2 west 42nd street, Los Angeles, CA, 90008, https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
We're your source for local coverage, we count on your support. SUPPORT US!
Your support is crucial in maintaining a healthy democracy and quality journalism. With your contribution, we can continue to provide engaging news and free access to all.
accepted credit cards

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles