The Forties

• Lionel Hampton 16-piece band appears at the Apollo. Hampton’s hit, “Flyin’ Home,” becomes an Apollo favorite.
• Teddy Hale, Babe Laurence and Bunny Briggs are the top dance attractions.
• During World War II the Apollo sets aside 35 tickets daily for soldiers. Tuesdays at the USO were “Apollo Night.”
• Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. make their first Apollo appearance.
• Amateur Night winners during the 1940s include Sarah Vaughn and Ruth Brown
• Apollo comics stop using blackface makeup.