open mike Mike Vaccaro Mets 1969 World Series rewind brought first New York celebrity sports fan to life By Mike Vaccaro Published June 13, 2026, 6:47 p.m. ET Mae Pearl Bailey (1918 - 1990), the popular nightclub singer who starred in the first all-black version of 'Hello Dolly' on the Broadway stage in 1967. Getty Images SAN ANTONIO — This all started with Pearl Bailey.
(Now I’ve either got your full attention, or you’ve not only changed the page, you’ve jumped four or five pages ahead.)
