Zaidee Williams-Jackson
(1898-1970)
Sometime after 1917, Zaidee became acquainted witth Lawrence Benjamin Brown (1893-1972), a pianist from Jacksonville, Florida who had relocated to Boston to resume his studies. It wasn't long before Zaidee herself was studying piano as well. After Lawrence left Boston the following year as the accompanyist for tenor singer, Roland Hayes, the friends kept in contact
On July 6th, 1920, Zaidee married local actor, James W. Jackson, and from 1920-1922, the couple relocated to Washington D.C. to study at Howard University.
In October 1922, the couple traveled to New York, where they debuted as the "Jackson & Jackson" duo at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre, performing melodramatic sketches, songs and dances. Afterwards, the couple appeared in Philadelphia, Chicago and Cleveland for the next two months. On December 6th, 1922, the couple briefly separated when James abandoned Zaidee and returned to Harlem. However, within days, he was back in Cleveland and the couple joined the Bob Russell Company, extending their Ohio for another month. During the summer of 1923, the couple were a part of the "Wonderland Show", traveling around Kentucky and Alabama. From August 1923-October 1924, "Jackson & Jackson" traveled around the United States, with their own melodramatic sketches written by James.
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| Harlem (c.1920) |
During the winter of 1924, the couple joined the Andrew Bishop company, a branch of the successful "Lafayette Players". For the next six months, the company appeared across the South and Mid-West. Zaidee also began composing her own songs, particularly, "Nobody Worries 'Bout Me", which was recorded in Chicago by blues singer, Sodarisa Miller around December 1924.
On February 28th, 1925, James abandoned the company and returned to New York. In July, Zaidee also left as well, joining the Wilbur Sweatman revue as a song-and-dance act. The revue traveled across New England, Canada and New York for the next four months.
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| Lulu Belle program (1926) |
In December 1925, director, David Belasco, cast Zaidee and her husband in Broadway's latest lurid melodramatic play, "Lulu Belle". 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 Charleston dancer in a Harlem nightclub.
After a week at Philadelphia's Broad Street Theatre, the play opened February 9th, 1926, at the Belasco Theatre, the show performed successful 461 times before closing a year later on March 19th, 1927. During the run of the show, Zaidee also had the opportunity to perform afterhours at the Bramville Club and Club Alabam, known for its exotic semi-nude floor shows. Berween August-November, she was also signed to Gennett Records, recording six or more songs accompanied by James P. Johnson, Otto Harwick and Duke Ellington. Only four recordings were released.
In October, Zaidee and several other cast mates from "Lulu Belle" traveled to Baltimore with Black film director, Oscar Micheaux, to film his latest drama *The Spider's Web*. Micheaux's *The Spider's Web* was released on January 6th, 1927.
In February 1927, before the close of "Lulu Belle" and with her growing success, Zaidee decided to divorce her husband.
That spring, 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 12th for 112 performances at the Majestic Theatre. 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 22nd, as the show prepared to go on the road, Lawrence Brown (who was touring Europe with Paul Robeson) convinced Zaidee to join him in France while Robeson was away celebrating the birth of his son. By November 1927, Zaidee had joined the numerous African-American expatriates in Paris' Montmartre district trading in on the French fascination for "Negro" culture.
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| Man Ray's Studio (March 1929) |
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 for the next five months. During the run of this revue, she also sang on BBC Radio and doubled at the illustrious Uncles Club. On August 28th, she recorded two numbers with HMV Records accompanied by pianist Carroll Gibbons, which were never released. On September 19th and again on the 29th, she recorded the American folk song, Waterboy, with British Duophone. Each recording was rejected.
In October 4th, 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. 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 met Afro-British pianist Reginald Foresythe performing in local club and she quickly recruited him as her new pianist. On November 12th, Zaidee and Reggie flew back to London on the Imperial Air Lines for a weeks engagement at the Café Anglais. 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.
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| Man Ray's Studio (March 1929) |
In January 1929, Zaidee returned to London, recording one song with Metropole Records and four unissued songs with Duophone. Returning to Paris on January 26th, 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 Beguine. 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 and summer, she also performed regularly at the famous Boeuf Sur Le Toit, Chez Florence, Mirador and Floresco's before she was left hospitalized on July 27th with a sprained ankle.
Between July-September, 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 British tour organized by her manager, E.J. Bonner. Between January-April 1930, she recorded six more songs with British Parlophone. In June 1930, towards the end of the tour, Reginald Foresythe returned to Englsnd and accompanied Zaidee once again before he departed again, this time for America.
With her British tour over, on June 16th, Zaidee was back in Paris, with a four month contract with Russian-themed Sheherazade Cabaret. Between June-August 1930, she returned to London to record her six songs with British Parlophone and appear on the BBC.
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| London (1930) |
In November 1930, Zaidee was in the German capital, appearing at the famous Kabarett der Komiker. Unfortunately, the press wrote mixed reviews for her singing, which most German audiences felt was barely audible in their large concert halls.
Returning to France the following month, Zaidee was seen performing around Biarritz with her new accompanist, Norman Lloyd, a young white pianist from New York.
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| Man Ray's Studio (March 1929) |
In January 1931, she returned to Paris for a well received months' engagement at the L'Ange Bleu Bar and Frisco's (owned by the Jamaican Jocelyn Augustus Bingham, who went under the name of Frisco). 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 Exposition Coloniale, she appeared in a new cabaret, La Jungle-Montmartre, performing her intimate songs. La Jungle-Montmartre was short lived and she eventually moved on to the Music Box, New Marine Club, Chez Dinah and Le Miami Club (quitting after they failed to pay her). 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.
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| Zaidee entertains Maurice Chevalier (1932) |
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, singing and dancing eccentrically. In August, she departed for month to the resort town of Saint Jean-de-Luz for a month engagement at the Maxim Bar.
By December 5th, Zaidee had returned to London, with a major role in William Walker's, "Ballyhoo Revue", which opened December 22nd 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, "A Window In Harlem", performing 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.
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| Zaidee and Walter Crisham (1933) |
On March 17th, 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*. With Odeon 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 22nd and reopened nine days later on May 1st 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. 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.
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| Switzerland (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 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, Evians-Les-Bains, Cannes and Monte Carlo.
In June 1935, Zaidee departed for Switzerland for an eight-month tour with Benny Peyton's Jazz Kings orchestra. They appeared in Ouchy, Lausanne, Berne, Neuchatel and Geneva. In-between engagements, Zaidee frequently returned to France for appearances in Saint Jean-de-Luz and Paris.
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| Barbu Neamtu in Monaco (c.1936) |
Returning to France around Late-January 1936, stable employment was still difficult for African-American entertainers and Zaidee possibly returned to the French Riviera. Around this time, 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 in Bucharest.
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.
In the early-1920s, Barbu had traveled to England, studying English and economics while attending Oxford University. While he was away, his father presented him with a position as a deputy of the city of Craiova. In 1931, he became the director of SEBAR, a truck and tractor manufacturing plant (a branch of Ford-Romania). As early as 1934, Barbu also took speed racing as a hobby, winning numerous trophies from races held in Monte Carlo, Brasov, Cluj and Bucharest.
By 1936, Barbu was already in an extremely unhappy marriage, from which he had a daughter. Nevertheless, upon his return to Craiova 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 9 Strada Arcului, a comfortable metropolitan residence that her future father-in-law rarely used.
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| Restaurant Bar Zissu |
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. At some point during this period, Zaidee also departed for a brief Egyptian tour.
On October 27, 1937, Zaidee boarded the SS Queen Mary from Cherbourg back to New York. Landing on November 1st (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: "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.’"
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| 1938 |
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, when Goga died suddenly of a stroke 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, an hour outside of Craiova. On September 27th, 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 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."
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, music provided by Willie Lewis' Orchestra.
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| Neamtu family country estate |
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 (possibly a party her husband was involved with).
Barbu and Zaidee packed up and purchased an comfortable house in Bucharest beside the Liceul Militar. 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. Zaidee 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.
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| Barbu Neamtu (Second from Left) at the Rallye Bucuresti |
After the outbreak of WWII, Zaidee's ties with the Western world was completely severed. Despite the progression of the war, Zaidee was able to continue working and her popularity amongst Romanian audiences grew.
Across Romania, soldiers were 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.
In July 1940, King Carol handed over Bessarabia 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. The American Ford company immediately severed ties with Romania, and Barbu's SEBAR company began manufacturing military-grade vehicles for the Germans.
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| Bombing of Bucharest (April 1944) |
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. At night, truckloads of Jews were rounded up from their home, disappearing to camps in Poland and Bessarabia. Often, during her trips to Craiova, she witnessed in the distance, piles of dead Jews being dumped from cattle cars into the forests.
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 30th, 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.
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| Bucharest's Victory Boulevard |
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.
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.
In September 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 December 30th, 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.
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| 1950s Bucharest |
In June 1948, 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 14th, 1951, Barbu and the majority of the Neamtu family were declared "Bourgeois spies" arrested sent to Ghencea Penitentiary (a local Bucharest prison) for 18 months. Zaidee was unable to write or visit. Later in September 1952, the 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. 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. After the divorce was finalized, Zaidee departed for a tour Romania's major cities.
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| Late-January 1956 |
In January 1956, the US, State Department sent her American passport. Although nervous and tense, Zaidee was eager to valiantly resume her career on the American stage, 17 years since her 1938 tour. January 1956, Zaidee received the thrilling news that she would be able to travel to America. "I was reborn," she said smilingly. “I never really gave up hope," she said. "But there were many times when my situation seemed utterly hopeless." She flew to Amsterdam and changed planes for New York, where she was greeted with an American passport. She luckily missed the Red-Scare movement, although there was still heavy prejudice of Communists (and those who had lived for nearly 20 years in a Communist country). Her return to the American stage may have caused more strain on her already shaky marriage, caused the couple to eventually separate. Her time in America is not well documented since her return, except for an appearance in Boston in 1957 and a brief interview in Harlem during the summer of 1967, with Frank Driggs. Zaidee Jackson died on December 15, 1970, near her sister's family in Connecticut.
