Bricktop (Ada Smith du Conge), Paris, 22 June 1934 (Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection, reproduction number LC-USZ62-105749)
Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith is the birth name of legendary singer, entertainer, and nightclub entrepreneur Bricktop (1894–1984), well known for her 1920s Paris night spot, also called "Bricktop." Her many given names came from people in the community where she was born—Alderson, West Virginia—when her undecided parents sought help from the neighbors in naming their new baby girl. She grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and began performing in Chicago before moving to Harlem, New York, where she performed briefly before moving to Paris. Her autobiography, Bricktop by Bricktop, written with James Haskins, was published on her 89th birthday.
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