Leslie Uggams

Well, to start, for me, at seven years old, I was on a television contest called 'The Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club.' Each week you won a prize, a washing machine, you know, a dryer. The grand prize was a Nash Rambler car. And before I came on, a young African-American boy had won. He was a tap dancer and he won the grand prize.

Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and a change of scenery can be very refreshing and just the lift you need.

I'd always win the auditions, and finally the Schiffmanns, who owned the Apollo, said, 'We're never gonna get rid of this kid! Nobody else will get a chance.' So they put an act together for me and put me on the same bill with Louis Armstrong.