Leslie Uggams

Leslie Uggams is an American singer and actress who has been performing since the 1950s. She is best known for her roles on television shows such as Sanford and Son, Roots, and Empire, and for her Tony Award-winning performance in Hallelujah, Baby! She is also a jazz and blues singer, and has released several albums throughout her career.

Uggams’s standout albums include her debut record, Leslie Uggams Sing the Blues (1960), which reached #7 on the Billboard R&B chart; and Leslie Uggams (1968), which featured songs written by Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David. Her other albums include Woman (1980), If This World Were Mine (1984), and Uptown/Downtown (1986).

Uggams is also known for her singles, including “Moon River” (1961), which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” (1965), which reached #25 on the same chart.

An interesting fact about Leslie Uggams is that she was the first African American to host her own variety show, The Leslie Uggams Show, which aired on NBC from 1969 to 1971.