Huntington in Cabell County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
“Diamond Teeth” Mary McClain
Blues & Gospel Singer
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August 28, 1902--April 4, 2000
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Photographed by Don Morfe, April 14, 2014
1. Blues & Gospel Singer Marker
Inscription.
“Diamond Teeth” Mary McClain. Blues and Gospel Singer. Born and raised in Huntington, WV, Mary hopped a train and left town at age 13 to become a singer and dancer. She spent the 1920’s and 30’s performing in medicine and minstrel shows. During the 1940’s, Mary had diamonds removed from a bracelet and set into her front teeth, creating a dazzling stage effect which earned her the nickname, “Diamond Teeth Mary.” Night spots from Chicago to Miami billed her as “Queen of the Blues,” and “Walking Mary.” She performed at the Apollo Theater, The Cotton Club, Carnegie Hall, the White House, and in Europe, where her show-stopping charisma received standing ovations. She also toured with the USO. As she had requested, her ashes were sprinkled on the railroad tracks at Heritage Station where she had hopped her first train. Mary always lovingly referred to Huntington as “my home.”
Born and raised in Huntington, WV, Mary hopped a train and left town at age 13 to become a singer and dancer. She spent the 1920’s and 30’s performing in medicine and minstrel shows. During the 1940’s, Mary had diamonds removed from a bracelet and set into her front teeth, creating a dazzling stage effect which earned her the nickname, “Diamond Teeth Mary.” Night spots from Chicago to Miami billed her as “Queen of the Blues,” and “Walking Mary.” She performed at the Apollo Theater, The Cotton Club, Carnegie Hall, the White House, and in Europe, where her show-stopping charisma received standing ovations. She also toured with the USO. As she had requested, her ashes were sprinkled on the railroad tracks at Heritage Station where she had hopped her first train. Mary always lovingly referred to Huntington as “my home.”
Erected 2010 by by the West Virginia Blues Society.
Location. 38° 25.417′ N, 82° 26.456′ W. Marker is in Huntington, West Virginia, in Cabell County.
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It is at the intersection of 11th Street and Veterans Memorial Boulevard (U.S. 60), on the left when traveling south on 11th Street. The marker is located in Heritage Village which includes the B&O Depot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 210 11th St, Huntington WV 25701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Virginia’s Kyova Tri-State Region and in the Mid-Ohio Valley. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Ohio River Valley, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 924 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 15, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
