Josephine Baker was born in the slums of St. Louis, Missouri. By age 13 she had left home and found a job working in a restaurant. At a young age she married, only to divorce later.

There was something very special about Josephine. She found she had a gift for song and dance, and joined a group of performers, the Jones Family Band. Her stage debut was at the Booker T. Washington Theater in St. Louis.

She came into her own in France, where she became a beloved icon of the French people. With her exotic looks, Baker was a classic, way ahead of her time. Although she was most famous in France, she also had a loyal following in the US.