Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Entertainers
Photographed By Sandra Hughes, August 12, 2012
1. Entertainers Marker
Josephine Baker (1906-1975) was born in St. Louis, MO. Her creative, exotic acts made her a singing star from New York to Paris. During WWII, she worked with the Red Cross, gathering intelligence and entertaining troops in Africa and the Middle East. As a crusader for racial equality, she spoke at the march on Washington in 1961 with Martin Luther King Jr. Her 12 adopted children from around the world were called her “Rainbow Tribe.”
Burt Bacharach was born 1928 in Kansas City, MO. A prolific composer/ conductor/arranger, he has more than fifty top 40 hits, including music from the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, What’s New Pussy Cat, and the 1967 version of Casino Royale.
Scott Joplin (1867-1917) was born in East Texas. He was a pianist and composer who developed “Ragtime” music in Sedalia, MO. His “Maple Leaf Rag” gained both him and ragtime prominence nationwide. He was known as the “King of Ragtime” and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize posthumously for his contribution to American music.
Porter Waggoner was born 1927 in West Plains, MO. He has been a country music entertainer for more than 60 years. His many years with the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, earned him the honor of their “Goodwill Ambassador.” He hosted
this page online
Jess Stacy (1904-1995) was born Alexandra Stacy in Bird’s Point, near Charleston, MO. As a world-renowned jazz pianist, he played with many big name bands including Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall. He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame posthumously.
Rush Limbaugh III was born in 1951 in Cape Girardeau, MO. He started his radio career at age 16 as “Rusty Sharp.” Since 1988, Rush has been a leader in the development of conservative talk radio. In 2004, his three-hour radio talk show had the largest audience in the country.
Erected by Missouri Wall of Fame River Heritage Mural Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women.
Location. 37° 18.121′ N, 89° 31.089′ W. Marker is in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in Cape Girardeau County. Marker is on Water Street. Located on Missouri Wall of Fame along the Missouri River Front. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cape Girardeau MO 63703, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1916 (here, next to this marker); 1924 (here, next to this marker); Hollywood
Photographed By Sandra Hughes, August 12, 2012
2. Entertainers Marker
Regarding Entertainers. Josephine Baker wax in the March on Washington, but this was in 1963, not in 1961.
Also see . . .
1. Missouri Wall of Fame. The Missouri Wall of Fame is a 500-foot span of flood wall in downtown Cape Girardeau, Missouri, covered with a mural depicting 45 famous people who were born in the state or achieved fame while living there. Those depicted on the wall include: (Submitted on August 31, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
2. The Josephine Baker Story. The Josephine Baker Story is an American television film that first aired on HBO on March 16, 1991. It stars Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker, who is regarded for being the first international African-American star, despite her more prominent success in Europe. The film was generally well received by critics and has become a success on home video and DVD. The original music score was composed by Georges Delerue. The film was nominated for several awards and won an Emmy Award for choreography by George Faison and for acting by Lynn Whitfield. (Submitted on September 1, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
3. Burt Bacharach. His music is characterized by unusual chord progressions, influenced by his background in jazz harmony, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. Most of Bacharach & David's hits were written specifically for and performed by Dionne Warwick, but earlier associations (from 1957–63) saw the composing duo work with Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Gene McDaniels, and Jerry Butler. (Submitted on September 1, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
4. Scott Joplin. Joplin moved to Sedalia, Missouri, in 1894 and earned a living as a piano teacher; there he taught future ragtime composers Arthur Marshall, Scott Hayden and Brun Campbell. Joplin began publishing music in 1895, and publication of his "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899 brought him fame. This piece had a profound influence on subsequent writers of ragtime. It also brought the composer a steady income for life, though Joplin did not reach this level of success again and frequently had financial problems. (Submitted on September 1, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
5. Porter Wagoner. Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced then-obscure singer Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known vocal duo throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Known as Mr. Grand Ole Opry, Wagoner charted 81 singles from 1954–1983. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002. (Submitted on September 1, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
6. Rush Limbaugh. Since he was 16, Limbaugh has worked a series of disc jockey jobs. His talk show began in 1984 at Sacramento, California radio station KFBK, featuring his ongoing format of political commentary and listener calls. In 1988, Limbaugh began broadcasting his show nationally from radio station WABC in New York City, and the show's flagship station became WOR in 2014. (Submitted on September 1, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
Additional keywords. LGBT, LGBTQ, 🏳️🌈, "shock jocks"
Credits. This page was last revised on February 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 31, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 39 times this year. Last updated on February 17, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 31, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
