Tucker, Sophie (1884–1966)

US singer and entertainer, of Russian origin. She won popular acclaim both in New York and in London as a music-hall artist and cabaret singer, and in her later years was billed as ‘the last of the Red Hot Mommas’. Known for the great verve of her singing, she helped popularize the work of black composers such as Eubie Blake; her repertoire included the celebrated ‘Yiddisher Momma’ and ‘The Lady is a Tramp’. Although she appeared in several stage and movie musicals, she was especially known as a nightclub torch singer.

Tucker was born into a Jewish family in Hartford, Connecticut, her birth taking place on her mother's journey from Russia. She began her show-business career in 1905 by singing in the café owned by her father, and first performed on vaudeville in blackface, singing ragtime melodies. After winning huge acclaim in the Ziegfield Follies of 1909, she returned as a star to vaudeville, abandoning blackface but continuing in the African-American style. She made her first visit to England in 1922.