Peggy Phango was a South African actress and singer, who from the 1960s was based in England.
11 Facts About Peggy Phango
1.
2.
Peggy Phango trained as a nurse, but sang in jazz clubs, as a young woman.
3.
In 1959, Phango was cast to replace her cousin, Miriam Makeba, in the female lead of the musical King Kong, about a South African boxer.
4.
Peggy Phango first appeared on the London stage in 1961, in the same show.
5.
Peggy Phango was in a vocal group with fellow King Kong cast members, Patience Gowabe and Hazel Futa, called the Velvettes; they sang backup for Cyril Davies and his All-Stars in clubs in the 1960s.
6.
Peggy Phango recorded an album with Dudu Pukwana's band Zila.
7.
Peggy Phango acted in non-musical roles on stage, including such shows as You Can't Take it With You, The Crucible, The Little Foxes, and Fishing, the first play by Paulette Randall.
8.
Peggy Phango toured as Rose in Stepping Out in the 1980s, and was one of the South Africans who both appeared in and contributed their personal experiences to the show Ekhaya in 1991.
9.
Peggy Phango appeared on British television regularly, notably in EastEnders and an adaptation of The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole.
10.
Peggy Phango's appearances in television dramas about South Africa included roles in Victims of Apartheid, Prisoners of Conscience, The Biko Inquest, and Death is a Part of the Process, the last based on a novel by Hilda Bernstein.
11.
Peggy Phango married English jazz pianist Johnny Parker in 1965, as his second wife.