Photo: William Morris Agency / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What strikes me about Pearl Bailey is how she turned warmth into a craft. Plenty of performers can sing or act, but few could wrap an audience in that easy, generous charisma she had, on stage and screen alike. Rising from vaudeville to a Tony-honored Hello, Dolly! and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, while also writing cookbooks and studying at Georgetown, she refused to be one thing. I admire that she was both a trailblazing Black entertainer and an unpretentious storyteller. To me she represents an old-school generosity of spirit that modern fame too often forgets, and that is worth remembering.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Pearl Bailey
- Name (Japanese)
- パール・ベイリー
- Reading
- ぱーる・べいりー
- Born
- March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Horse
- Origin
- Newport News, Virginia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / stage actor / film actor / voice actor / television actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- William Penn High School
- University
- Georgetown University
Awards & achievements
- 1988 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Daytime Emmy Award
- Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1976 Coretta Scott King Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Carmen Jones | — | |
| Notable work | Porgy and Bess | — | |
| Notable work | Pearl's kitchen : an extraordinary cookbook | — |
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl%20Bailey
Frequently asked questions
When was Pearl Bailey born?
March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990.
Where is Pearl Bailey from?
Pearl Bailey is from Newport News, Virginia, United States.
What does Pearl Bailey do?
Pearl Bailey works as singer, stage actor, film actor, voice actor, television actor.
What is Pearl Bailey known for?
Notable works include Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Pearl's kitchen : an extraordinary cookbook.
Singer — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.