Myrtle Watkins
| Myrtle Paquita Zarate | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Myrtle Dillard 23 June 1908 Birmingham, Alabama |
| Died | 10 November 1968 (aged 60) Corvallis, Oregon |
| Residence | Lincoln Beach, Oregon, United States |
| Nationality | American, Mexican, Malaysian |
| Occupation | Dancer, singer, actress |
| Years active | 1925–68 |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Calypso, music hall, Cuban Rumba, Cuplé, Jazz, Traditional Pop |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Columbia, ZARPAC Records, Northwestern |
Myrtle Watkins (23 June 1908 – 10 November 1968) was an American-born Mexican dancer, jazz and Latin American music singer, and actress, who came to be known in the United States and Mexico as Paquita Zarate
Myrtle Watkins, originally born, Myrtle Dillard in Birmingham, Alabama in June 1908 as the 5th child to Betty S. and Jasper L. Dillard. A 1910 Alabama Census comfirms this information. Her father ran a grocery store (J.L. Dillard's Fish Co) in Birmingham. Myrtle appears in Baltimore mid-1925, 17 years old as a dancer with her partner Yank Brunson. The Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper described her as a local entertainer. Eventually, in late 1925, she joins Eddie Lemon's Stock Company, appearing at the Regent Theater's revue "Who Dat?". Early 1926, after Eddie Lemon left for Philadelphia, she remained at the Regent as part of the cast of Lew Peyton's Brownskin Vamps, where she appeared in her own solo number dancing the Charleston. During this time, Myrtle met and married local mechanic, Cephus Watkins; however the marriage ended shortly afterwards. The following month, she was entertaining at the 'all-white' Folly Cabaret in East Baltimore, her Charleston had caught on immensely with its patrons. Weeks later, she departed for Boston with the Rarin' to Go revue. In 1928, she toured around the Boston area with the Bostonian Harmony Lads singing light blues, where she wrote in the Afro-American that she missed Baltimore.
During the winter of 1928, she joined the cast of the 2nd version of Lew Leslie's Blackbirds during the Boston auditions. She eventually met Eddie Thompson, one of the show's leading dancers and part of the duo Worthy & Thompson. Myrtle and Eddie returned briefly to New York (Feb.4 1929) to marry, another brief marriage. Blackbirds continued touring the Eastern US until May 31, when the troupe boarded the SS Ile de France for France. There they played three months the Moulin Rouge, before the French director renovated the Moulin into a cinema. The show opened on June 7 and was a sensation. Some of France’s top stars attended, including Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier. Adelaide Hall was the star attraction, and replacing Bill Bojangles Robinson in this version were, John Worthy and Ed Thompson. Blackbirds returned to New York to briefly tour the East Coast again in September, but its return coincided with the famous Wall-Street Crash and there was no work. According to an 1930 New York Census, while living on 7th Avenue with her husband, Myrtle Dillard-Thompson confirms again her parents as being from Alabama.
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