True Life Tuesday (on Wednesday): Gail Fisher

Gail Fisher was born on August 18, 1935 in Orange, New Jersey. She was the youngest of 5 children. He father passed away when she was only 2 years old. Her mother, Ona, supported the family by operating a hair styling business out of their home in Edison, New Jersey. Gail graduated from Metuchen High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. As a teen she won many pageants including Miss Transit, Miss Black New Jersey and Miss Press Photographer. She won a contest sponsored by Coca Cola and won 2 years of instruction at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she studied under Lee Strasberg. 

1n 1960 Gail made her TV debut in The Play of the Week. In the early 1960's she also appeared in a national commercial for All detergent. This made her the first African American to appear with lines in a national ad campaign. She was cast in the TV show Mannix making her the first black woman to appear in a prominent role in a TV series. She won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series making her the first black woman to win the award. She was also the first black woman to win a Golden Globe in 1971 and she won again in 1973. After Mannix was cancelled she guest starred on many shows including Fantasy Island, Knight Rider and General Hospital. She was also a lyricist for many jazz songs including Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Do Do Do (What Now is Next). 

Gail was married and divorced three times. She has two daughters, Samara and Joly, with her first husband John Levy. Her second husband, Walter Youngblood aka Wali Muhammad, was a famed cornerman box boxers Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. He also worked as an assistant minister for Malcolm X. The couple divorced when he converted to Islam. Gail Fisher died on December 2, 2000 in Los Angeles from kidney failure and emphysema.