Pearl Bailey performs 'Beat Out dat Rhythm on a Drum' in CARMEN JONES ('54). #LetsMovie | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

Pearl Bailey was perfectly cast as Big Mama in Disney’s The Fox and the Hound (1981). A veteran of stage, screen, and television, Bailey got her start as a nightclub singer in the 1930s, performed for troops during World War II, and made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. In 1968, she received a special Tony Award for her role in an all-Black production of Hello, Dolly!. The Fox and the Hound marked a turning point for Disney animation. With Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men retiring, a new

#GirlSingerSaturday - Pearl Bailey Pearl Bailey was a singer, author, and actress that made her Broadway debut in "St. Louis Woman" in 1946. She won a Tony for her title roll in "Hello Dolly" in 1968. In 1975 she was appointed special ambassador to the United Nations by President Gerald Ford. Here's a fun clip of Pearl and Andy Williams singing the Rube Bloom/Harry Ruby tune, "Give Me the Simple Life." | Michael Feinstein