When
Barbra Streisand came along, there were other nightclub singers in the same vain, most notibly,
Diahann Carroll, Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Edie Gorme, Shirley Bassey and on their way out,
Dorothy Dandridge, Joyce Bryant and
Eartha Kitt.
These ladies were appearing in the top venues of New York, Florida, California and Las Vegas. I loved all of them, but compared to Streisand, I liked Diahann better. Carroll was a very dramatic singer. I saw her at the Persian Room at the Plaza Hotel and I cannot
describe her performance. Unlike Barbra, who was rather stiff on stage, Diahann used her entire body, dramatic gestures and wonderful work with the mike. Plus, Diahann looked absolutely spectacular on stage...what a beauty.
Joyce Bryant,

many years later, became a personal friend of mine. The lady was known as "the black
Marilyn Monroe,"

because she was so sexy and had dyed her hair silver. Joyce wore skin-tight gowns with fish tails and worked so hard during her act that she literally lost three to four pounds some performances. Bryant gave up her successsful career for the church and was the star that TV host,
David Susskind lusted after for years. She appeared on the
Ed Sullivan show several times and was the first black performer to perform and
reside at the Fountainebleau Hotel in Florida. She, along with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dorothy Dandrige, broke down racial barriers in show biz. Joyce popularized "Runnin' Wild," "Drunk with Love" and "Love for Sale." The latter two were banned from the radio because of Joyce's seductive treatment of the songs.
The good news is that she is alive and well and living in Los Angeles. I spoke with her the other night. A book and a movie should be forthcoming about her life.