Bessie McCoy ( â€" August , ) was an Irish-American Vaudeville star
best known for her hit song and dance routine "The Yama Yama Man",
for which she became known as "The Yama Yama Girl". Her husband was
the war correspondent Richard Harding Davis.McCoy was born in Ireland
as Elizabeth Genevieve McEvoy. Her mother and father were a vaudeville
act known as McCoy and McEvoy, they were Irish clog dancers. Bessie,
along with her sister, entered stage in their teens as chorus girls.
She appeared in a number of Broadway musicals and made a breakthrough
in the play "The Echo". She was given the "Yama Yama Man" song in the
revue Three Twins.She became famous for her lazy, husky singing while
performing unusual acrobatic dance routines while dressed in a clowns
pajama suit with a fools cap topped by a puff ball.She met Harding
Davis at this time, and they were married in when she was years old.
After Harding's early death in from a heart-attack, McCoy retired
from stage work and lived in the Davis' Connecticut estate.
best known for her hit song and dance routine "The Yama Yama Man",
for which she became known as "The Yama Yama Girl". Her husband was
the war correspondent Richard Harding Davis.McCoy was born in Ireland
as Elizabeth Genevieve McEvoy. Her mother and father were a vaudeville
act known as McCoy and McEvoy, they were Irish clog dancers. Bessie,
along with her sister, entered stage in their teens as chorus girls.
She appeared in a number of Broadway musicals and made a breakthrough
in the play "The Echo". She was given the "Yama Yama Man" song in the
revue Three Twins.She became famous for her lazy, husky singing while
performing unusual acrobatic dance routines while dressed in a clowns
pajama suit with a fools cap topped by a puff ball.She met Harding
Davis at this time, and they were married in when she was years old.
After Harding's early death in from a heart-attack, McCoy retired
from stage work and lived in the Davis' Connecticut estate.
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