Moms Mabley was one of the most admired comedians to have ever graced the comedy world, although she doesn’t always get the proper recognition she deserves. She dominated a sport at a time when only males were playing it.
Her influence had an effect on everyone from Redd Foxx, to Richard Pryor, to Whoopi Goldberg…and even comedians of today’s era are influenced by her, even if they don’t realize it, because their favorite comedians looked up to other comedians, who looked up to her.
The thing that wasn’t widely talked about during Moms Mabley’s reign is the amount of horror she experienced throughout her childhood, only to run away from it and ultimately become a superstar being chauffeured around in Rolls Royces and getting paid one of the highest salaries of any comedian of that era.
Moms Mabley was one of 16 children, and by the time she’d turned 11, her life tragically changed as a result of being raped by an older man. As if that wasn’t horrific enough, she was raped again at the age of 13 by the town’s sheriff. Both rapes resulted in two pregnancies…
I remember my mother watching her on television back in the 60s. She was funny and racy! Thank you so much for sharing this story on a woman whose background I didn’t know much about but appreciated her humor and her strength for survival during those difficult times.
I remember my mother watching her on television back in the 60s. She was funny and racy! Thank you so much for sharing this story on a woman whose background I didn’t know much about but appreciated her humor and her strength for survival during those difficult times.
Great story! The pictures were an added bonus.
Great story! The pictures were an added bonus.