Leslie Uggams

Biography

Date of Birth 25 May 1943, New York City, New York, USA Height 5' 6" (1.68 m) Spouse Grahame Pratt (16 October 1965 - present) 2 children Trivia She is also a board member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and TADA, a children's musical theatre. Among her most recent concerts are the Pittsburgh Symphony, Rhode Island Symphony, and The Memorial Day Concert on the Washington Mall, in front of 300,000 people, televised live by PBS. Off stage, Leslie is a founding member of the BRAVO Chapter/City of Hope - a charitable organisation dedicated to the study, treatment, and eradication of all blood-related diseases. Raised in the Washington Heights section of New York City. She made her national television debut at age six on the TV series "Beulah" (1950), portraying the niece of Ethel Waters. She began performing regularly at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem as an extra added attraction before the performances of such legends as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington at age six. In 1987, she toured with Peter Nero and Mel Tormé in "The Great Gershwin Concert", for which she received rave reviews, and, in 1988, starred as Reno Sweaney, in the National Company of the Lincoln Center Production of "Anything Goes". Reprised her role in 1989/90 at the Lincoln Center's Vivien Beaumont Theatre on Broadway. 1991 saw Leslie touring in "Stringbean", a new play with music based on Ethel Waters' rise to fame in the twenties and thirties. Won Broadway's 1968 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for "Hallelujah, Baby!" in a tie with Patricia Routledge for "Darling of the Day." She was also nominated in 2001 as Best Actress (Play) for August Wilson's "King Hedley II." Was in the audience when Buddy Holly and The Crickets made their debut at the Apollo Theater in 1957. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,Incorporated. Longtime friend of Jerry Herman. Mother of Danielle Chambers, and Justice Pratt. Mother-in-law of Keith Chambers. Her 1968 Tony-winning lead in "Hallelujah Baby" was originally meant and was expressly written for Lena Horne, who withdrew from the project. Leslie later played Lena in the 2009 musical "Stormy Weather". Daughter Danielle Chambers is a singer/actress who went to high school at Beverly Hills High. Upon graduating she went to New York to study Theatre and Film at NYU's Tisch school of the Arts. She has sung on cruise ships, appeared in a number of regional musicals ("Titanic," "Into the Woods," "Beehive") and produced and performed her own cabaret show.