Born into poverty in St. Louis, dancer and singer Josephine Baker progressed from vaudeville to New York theater to the Parisian cabaret scene and became the toast of Europe before the age of 21. Though her later career wasn't quite able to handle such an early peak, Baker spent much of her life working tirelessly against prejudice, during World... [+] Read More

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The most exotic actress of the 1930s and '40s, Marlene Dietrich performed her cabaret act around the world and recorded for Decca, Columbia and Capitol in the post-war period, after her film career had slowed. A thick German accent and her odd sung-spoken vocal style proved no barrier to international popular success and adoration. Born near... [+] Read More

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Globally speaking, Nana Mouskouri is the biggest-selling female artist of all time. Her fluency in multiple languages -- Greek, French, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese -- enabled her to reach audiences all over Europe, the Americas, and even Asia. Possessed of a distinctive, angelic soprano -- the product of having been born with only one... [+] Read More

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One of exotica's most exotic figures, Korla Pandit was a celebrity of sorts in the 1950s via a Southern California television show (also syndicated to other parts of the country) that featured his organ playing. Wearing a turban and never speaking, Pandit simply performed on a Hammond B-3 organ while staring into the camera, embellishing his... [+] Read More

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The postwar-era pop trio the Three Suns comprised vocalist/organist Artie Dunn, guitarist Al Nevins and accordionist Morty Nevins. Although formed in 1939, the group did not achieve widespread success until their 1944 Top 20 rendition of "Twilight Time," co-written by the trio with Buck Ram, sold over a million copies. In 1947 the Three Suns... [+] Read More

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