Josephine Baker was a famous dancer, actress and singer in the first half of the 20th century. She was born in St. Louis as Freda Josephine McDonald.
However, she became a French citizen in 1937 and was known as Josephine Baker, "the Bronze Venus," the "Creole Goddess," and the "Black Pearl." She was fluent in both French and English.
Baker was the first African American woman to star in a major motion picture (ZouZou). She was also the first to integrate a dance hall and become an international entertainment star.
She was also offered the role of unofficial Civil Rights leader after Martin Luther King, Jr. Was assassinated.
Baker obviously had a big personality and this showed during her performances. In later shows in Paris, she was often accompanied onstage by her pet Cheetah, Chiquita.
Chiquita would wear a diamond collar and often escaped into the orchestra pit. While there, she wreaked havoc amongst the frightened musicians. This did make for a more interesting show though.