Style Flashback: Lola Falana

A dancer and actress by trade, Lola Falana began her career by moving to New York armed with only $23. She danced in nightclubs until she was discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr. who anointed her his protégé and gave her the lead dancing role in the Broadway smash “Golden Boy” (October 20, 1964 - March 5, 1966). Falana then tried her hand at singing. She had a moderately successful career but she finally broke away from Sammy Davis Jr. in an attempt to create a name for herself, separate from her mentor. That's when her career really took off; she acted in several highly successful Italian movies, peformed on variety shows such as Bill Cosby’s “The New Bill Cosby Show” and she finally acquired her own act in Vegas. By the late 1970s, she was considered the Queen of Las Vegas. She played to sold-out crowds at The Sands, The Riviera, and the MGM Grand hotels. The Aladdin even offered her $100,000 a week to perform. At the time, Falana was the highest paid female performer in Las Vegas. She was also the first black woman to model for a line of cosmetics that wasn't targeted solely to blacks. Falana’s last Vegas performance was in 1987 due to a relapse of Multiple Sclerosis. I’m not sure where she resides now but she has since fought the disease with hopes of one day returning to the stage. All hail the First Lady of Vegas.