1. Babs Gonzales, born Lee Brown, was an American bebop vocalist, poet, and self-published author.
11 Facts About Babs Gonzales
1. 2.
Babs Gonzales's books portrayed the jazz world that many black musicians struggled in, portraying disk jockeys, club owners, liquor, drugs, and racism.
3.
Babs Gonzales was born Lee Brown in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
4.
Babs Gonzales was raised solely by his mother Lottie Brown alongside two brothers.
5.
Babs Gonzales needs to be recognized and praised for what he did.
6.
Babs Gonzales released a string of albums and singles throughout the 1950s and 1960s, but became only a cult figure, ultimately self-publishing his own recordings.
7.
From 1958, Gonzales operated a nightclub called Babs' Insane Asylum, located in Sugar Hill, New York at 155th Street and St Nicholas Place.
8.
Babs Gonzales attempted to open a similar club in Paris, named Le Maison Du Idiots, but lost access to his $10,000 investment after a general strike.
9.
Babs Gonzales wrote and self-published two books, I Paid My Dues: Good Times.
10.
From 1951, Babs Gonzales began to travel regularly to Europe, and remained there for months at a time.
11.
Babs Gonzales died of cancer at Newark's College Hospital in January 1980.