Lola Falana

She is a pioneering singer and dancer, who broke barriers even as she entertained the masses. With roots in African-American, Cuban, and Puerto Rican heritage, Lola Falana has had an incredible artistic journey.

The New Jersey native’s rise to fame began in the 1960s as a dancer in prestigious nightclubs like the Copacabana in New York City. There she caught the eye of Sammy Davis, Jr., who mentored her into a performer who seemingly could do everything: sing, dance, act. And her striking physical beauty and captivating stage presence propelled her to stardom.

Lola Falana was a trailblazer for women of color in the entertainment industry. In the 1970s, she became one of the first African-American women to have her own television variety show, "The Lola Falana Show." She also transitioned into acting and appeared in several films, while her physical beauty resulted in a lucrative career as a model on several ad campaigns.

Perhaps most notably, Falana became a fixture in the Las Vegas club scene, earning her the title “The Queen of Las Vegas” for her crowd-pleasing shows.

Health problems (she suffered from multiple sclerosis) and a deep religious conversion took Falana in an different direction by the end of the 80s, but for decades to come she continued to attract people around the world with her talent and her telling of her incredible life story.