3. Esther Jones, the real-life Betty Boop
The 1920s icon Betty Boop was purportedly based on white jazz singer Helen Kane. Kane went so far as to sue to the creators of Betty Boop for stealing her likeness and singing style. What Kane did not admit was that she herself appropriated the style of famed Harlem jazz singer Esther Jones, who performed as “Baby Esther.” While a witness testified in court that Kane watched Jones’ performance and intentionally adopted her style, Kane continued to deny it. Jones appears to be a very early case of a white performer achieving success after appropriating a black artist’s style.
