After a difficult childhood, this comedic icon got her start in vaudeville and the stage before TV helped make her a mainstream star.
by Rich Watson
It has been suggested that Moms Mabley might have been the first successful stand-up comic. Her heyday was the vaudeville era. She achieved her fame by playing in front of live audiences. She also performed in theater.
With television, Mabley was rediscovered. Even today, her memory has been kept alive.
