Making Comedic History, Jackie 'Moms' Mabley

Guest Author - Stephanie L. Ogle

by Stephanie L. Ogle

” There ain't nothin' an ol' man can do but bring me a message from a young one.” – “Moms” Mabley
The name “Moms” Mabley is a name that comedians and fans alike are familiar with. She influenced comedians past & present such as Rudy Ray Moore (aka “Dolemite”), Richard Pryor, Lady Reed (aka “Queen Bee”), Whoopi Goldberg and Mo’Nique (“The Parkers”).

Born Loretta Mary Aiken in 1899 as one of 12 children, “Moms” gained national recognition as a comedian in the early 60’s. Onstage, her trademark clothing: oversized clodhoppers, gaudy housedresses, & floppy hats along with a toothless smile. Her comedic style was right on target with her frumpy, sassy, granny-like stage persona.

” I liked Moms Mabley. She was fabulous.” – Rudy Ray Moore (2001)
As one of the first female comics to star at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Mabley was a regular performer there from 1939 until the 1960’s. She was also a performer at Harlem's Cotton Club, where she appeared in bills with Count Basie Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Cab Calloway. She also performed in early black theater, and collaborated with Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston in the 1931 Broadway play Fast and Furious: A Colored Revue in 37 Scenes.

As with most comedians, they get their material from social satire. They also get material from real life, personal pains & struggles. At the age of 11, an older black man raped young Loretta then horrifically 2 years later she was again raped...this time by the town’s white sheriff. Both incidents resulted in pregnancy and both children were put up for adoption. Loretta’s father, a volunteer fireman was killed when his fire truck overturned & exploded. More tragedy would follow with the death of her mother who was struck by a truck coming home from church on Christmas Day.

Factoid: Whoopi Goldberg briefly starred in a San Francisco production entitled "Moms," a one person show which she co-wrote, based on the late comedienne's original material.
While dealing with such adversities on a personal level as well as with the state of racial tensions in the country, she was still able to hold her head high and become a comedy legend. “Moms” recorded more than 20 albums of her comedy routines and appeared on various television shows hosted by Harry Belafonte, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin & Bill Cosby. “Moms” Mabley died of natural causes at the age of 78 in 1975, a year after starring in the feature film Amazing Grace.

” A woman's a woman until the day she dies, but a man's only a man as long as he can.” – “Moms” Mabley