Evelyn Dove: Britain's black cabaret queen

Evelyn Dove embraced the worlds of jazz, musical theatre and, most importantly, cabaret, in a career spanning five decades from the 1920s through to the 1960s. A black British diva with movie star looks, she captivated audiences and admirers around the world, enjoying the same appeal as the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ Vera Lynn throughout the Second World War.

Refusing to be constrained by her race or middle–class West African and English backgrounds, she would perform for infamous Russian leader, J...