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her child life
She became an entertainer as a young child, billed as "Baby Florence" and captivating audiences with song and dance.Florence Mills was born Florence Winfrey on January 25, 1896 (some accounts say 1895), in the Washington, D.C., area. She became an entertainer as a young child, billed as "Baby Florence" and captivating audiences with song and dance. -
born
Florence Mills was born on January 25, 1896, in or near Washington, D.C., and made her stage debut at age five as “Baby Florence.”Mills would later meet and wed Ulysses S. Thompson, from the troupe the Tennessee Ten, in 1923.In 1921 Mills was hired to replace Gertrude Saunders in the Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle production Shuffle Along, which was a trailblazing musical with an all African-American creative team. -
The beginning
Florence Mills was born Florence Winfrey on January 25, 1896 (some accounts say 1895), in the Washington, D.C., area. She worked in vaudeville and joined a touring company at eight years old before authorities found out she was underage. Her family eventually moved to Harlem, New York, and in 1910 Mills would form another vaudeville act—the Mills Sisters—with her siblings Olivia and Maude. -
her jods where she worked
She worked in vaudeville and joined a touring company at eight years old before authorities found out she was underage.The Off-Broadway show was a hit, and Mills became renowned for her performances, highlighted by the tune "I’m Craving for That Kind of Love." Mills earned a reputation for her wondrous high-pitched voice, unique dance movements and comedic timing that allowed her to become an unparalleled force during the Harlem Renaissance. -
breakthrough
Her major breakthrough happened in 1921, when she appeared in the Off-Broadway musical Shuffle Along.With Mills quite aware of the racial dynamics of the day and wishing to make a difference, she also served as an icon for African-American performers and audiences of all backgrounds. -
songs
The following year, she appeared on Broadway in Plantation Revue, and later the song “I'm a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird” from Blackbirds became her trademark.Though Shuffle Along was a big hit, Mills made her actual Broadway debut in 1922 in the show Plantation Revue with the role of Gypsy Blues. The musical was eventually renamed From Dixie to Broadway and played in England before being launched again on the New York stage in October 1924. -
death
She died in 1927.Then, in 1926, Mills starred in the musical Blackbirds, which showcased the song she was most associated with—"I’m a Little Blackbird Looking for a Bluebird." The show toured internationally as well, and Mills became a massive, sought-after star in Britain.
