THE RELATIONSHIP OF LESLIE UGGAMS AND KIZZY REYNOLDS, WHICH IS OVER FIVE DECADES
The couple of Leslie Uggams and Kizzy Reynolds celebrated their 58th anniversary on the 15th of October. Through the thick and thin, the couple had stayed together.
They were one of the famous interracial couples of their time, which when interracial marriage was illegal in some states.
Still, today the couple is attending to the events they are invited together. They love to be together and spend time. On the Father’s Day, this year, the couple had celebrated Juneteenth too.
Uggams, was together with her husband at that time, and the couple had received a Legacy Award. Uggams had posted a picture from the occasion from her social media account.
Uggams was born in 1943, and she had attended to the Professional Children’s School of New York and Juilliard.
After Uggams’ aunt had supported and pushed her for a musical training, she started to work in the industry as a child, in 1951. Her first appearance came with the “Beulah.”
She had performed at the Apollo Theater too, in 1951. She already had a record with MGM, and in 1958, some TV spectators had expected her to become a talent.
Uggams had appeared on the show, “Name That Tune,” which Mitch Miller had saw her and worked with her for “Sing Along With Mitch.”
“One More Sunrise” and “House Built on Sand” of Uggams made into the Bilboard magazine’s charts. When it was 1967, Uggams had made her appearance at the Broadway with “Hallelujah, Baby!”
She had received a Theater World Award and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical. When it was 1969, she started to her show, “The Leslie Uggams Show.”
She was the first black woman who hosted a show, and the second African-American, since the mid 50s.
When it was 1977, she had starred in the “Roots,” where she had appeared as the daughter of Kunta Kinte. She had received an Emmy nomination with her role.
In 1989, she had received another Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress, with the show, “Backstairs at the White House.”
For the last 58 years, Uggams is married with her husband, Australian Manager Grahame Pratt. As the couple had worked hard to be together, they had successful careers too.
The couple met in Sydney in 1963 at Chequers nightclub, as she was an actress with a Tony Award. She met with her husband while she was touring.
For a year, they didn’t saw each other, after Uggams left Sydney. Then, Pratt started to visit Uggams in his U.S. trips. In the end, they fell for each other.
Five months later, Pratt went to New York for meeting with Uggams’ parents. As Pratt had no racism in his soul, Uggams’ parents had accepted him immediately. As he was a fitting man among her friends too, her aunt wanted Uggams to get married with a black man.
The couple got married in 1965, but some things were problematic for them. As interracial marriage was illegal in some states, they had faced racism. And she didn’t wanted to leave her career in U.S. and go to Australia, Pratt needed to move to U.S.
As with good intentions, Uggams’ parents had invited Pratt’s mother to the States, so she wouldn’t be alone in Australia.
Pratt had kept his job in the States too, and worked on “Medical Center,” “Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target,” and “Skyjacked.”
As the couple were receiving hate letters constantly, Pratt didn’t cared for any hatred they received, as he was in love with his wife.
After their marriage, couple had lost a baby. As Uggams wanted her children to be happy, she didn’t wanted to receive hate letters. In 1970, they had their daughter Danielle, and in 1976 they welcomed their son Justice Pratt.
“He’s smart and witty and fearless. We laugh all the time — but it ain’t always roses. We have fun together.” Uggams said.
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