Amateur Night at the Apollo: Ralph Cooper Presents Five Decades of Great Entertainment. - book reviews

Ebony, March, 1991

Amateur Night at the Apollo: Ralph Cooper Presents Five Decades of Great Entertainment

Amateur Night at the Apollo: Ralph Cooper Presents Five Decades of Great Entertainment (HarperCollins Publishers, $25), a memoir by the venerable host of one of the most brutal showcases for new talent - amateur night at New York's legendary Apollo Theatre. Since 1934, Cooper, a respected song-and-dance-man in his own right, has presided over the Wednesday night rituals. With co-author Steve Dougherty, he recalls the many talents who launched their careers in front of the tough crowds, including Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson.