Mable Lee, Jazz Dancer And Queen Of Soundies, Has Died

Mable Lee, the famed jazz dancer, singer and Queen of Soundies, has died. She was 97.

Ebony Magazine is reporting that Lee died on Thursday. The cause of death has not been released.

“It is with a heavy heart to announce the transition of our beloved Mable Lee. Mable passed away earlier this evening,” award-winning artist/educator Gwendolyn Black shared on Facebook. “She is now at rest among the other dance greats and leaves us with a profound LEGACY, JOY, and LAUGHTER! RIP Dear Angel. FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS AND MIND!!!”

Lee rose to fame during the height of the 1940s Jazz Age. She was well-known for appearing in more than 100 soundies, three-minute musical 16mm films.

According to Unsweetened Magazine, she was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1921, and began performing at the age of four. By nine, she was considered a prodigy, tap dancing and singing along with big bands at popular Atlanta theaters. She eventually became part of the chorus line at the Apollo. Her talent took her around the world and had her performing on and off Broadway for years.

In 2008, Lee was inducted into the Tap Dance Hall of Fame.

Our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time.