Chicago, that toddlin' town

 ------------------------- [excerpts from "Chicago Stories:  Playboy" documentary on You Tube] -------------------------------

When Playboy founder and editor Hugh Hefner had his first TV show, "Playboy's Penthouse," in 1959, the syndicator got back to Mr. Hefner to say, "We can't get carriage in the South, because it's integrated.  So we need to - change that."

Christie Hefner says, "And my father's attitude was, Well then we're not going to get carriage on - many stations in the South."

(Shrug.)

Some of the African American entertainers "Hef" invited onto the show were Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, and Count Basie.

        Hefner's battles in the Jim Crow South were expected, but he was infuriated by home-town resistance, something that came to a head in 1959. 

Gloria Johnson:  "Jazz was really, really big, at that time.  And Chicago was just full of it.  I mean, it was just so much fun.  And Hugh Hefner started having the Playboy Jazz Festivals.  That was the talk of the town." 

Count Basie and other jazz artists were scheduled to play at Soldier Field - until Catholic leaders pressured Mayor Daley.  

        "So they pulled the permissions at Soldier Field, more or less at the last minute...."

Hefner moved Jazz Fest to Chicago Stadium and donated the first day's receipts to the Urban League.

--------------------- [end, documentary excerpts]

        I had heard of the Urban League, but had to Google exactly what it is:

"The National Urban League...is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States."

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           You can hear the song Sammy Davis Jr. performed on "Playboy's Penthouse" via You Tube:

type in "Sammy Davis Jr., Chicago"

The video is titled

Chicago

uploader / channel:  Sammy Davis Jr. - Topic

___________________________

        To me, he is just such a conversational singer.

        What a talent.

        

Sammy Davis, Jr.

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