Gertrude Pridgett married her husband, William Rainey, in 1904. Why trust us? Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is actually one of several works included in August's American Century Cycle collection. Netflix's new film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom—based on August Wilson's play of the same name (and the playwright's first Broadway hit)— follows the "Mother of Blues" and her band in during a recording session on one sweltering Chicago afternoon. Viola Davis stars as the blues pioneer and queer icon in the film adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. In the 1980s, Ma was front and center in pop culture once again thanks to the Broadway staging of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, starring Theresa Merritt as the acclaimed singer (in the 2003 revival, Whoopi Goldberg portrayed Ma). ", The actress explains that she put herself in the mindset of someone whose parents or grandparents were slaves, and who was promised a better life up north. One of Ma's songs, "Prove It on Me Blues" (recorded in 1928) is believed to be a proclamation of her sexual identity: She’d been a popular solo performer before she teamed with her husband William “Pa” Rainey, forming together the “Assassinators of the Blues.” In … Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), a biopic about the celebrated blues singer, was his swansong. The real Ma Rainey came of age in Columbus, Georgia at the turn of the 20th century.She was born Gertrude Pridgett and gained her infamous stage name from marrying Will “Pa” Rainey… I'm really excited about that," he told The Hollywood Reporter. Rainey was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy, starting in 1878 with Lyme Regis.Between 1878 and 1904 he exhibited 17 times (showing two works in both 1884 and 1901) at the Royal Academy, and continued to exhibit thereafter, including two works at the Franco-British exhibition in 1908. American blues singer Ma Rainey was born Gertrude Pridgett on the26 April 1882in Columbus, Georgia. Whatever you heard before, it was not the blues—because no one else sang the blues like Ma Rainey. On December 18, Netflix released the new film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a drama adapted from a play of the same name, written by late Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson. ", Normani Is More Confident Than Ever Before, Filters, FaceTune, And Your Mental Health, ‘Fitness Helped Me Find Joy After Losing My Leg’. ", The excellently-cast ensemble film largely centers on the struggle for power between Ma Rainey's blues band and the white record producers who profit from her music. Rainey separated from her husband in 1916 and began touring with her own show, Madam Gertrude Ma Rainey and Her Georgia Smart Set, which included a … Per the critic, legend has it that during a visit to Missouri in 1902, Gertrude first heard a country blues singer. And he humanizes us. A member of the First African Baptist Church, she began performing in black minstrel shows. However, a key part of the film is Ma's relationship with her girlfriend, Dussie Mae, and what happens when trumpet player Levee tries to steal her away from Ma. Kayla Keegan covers all things in the entertainment, pop culture, and celebrity space for Good Housekeeping. It doesn't get any better than that. She is also rumoured to have had relationships with women including Smith. In 1906, she joined a troupe called the Rabbit Foot Minstrels with her husband, Will Rainey (the "Pa Rainey" to her "Ma Rainey"). This content is imported from {embed-name}. In an article for The New York Times before his death in 2005, the legendary dramatist wrote: To honor August, Denzel made it known that he intends to bring all 10 of the American Century Cycle plays to the big screen in the years to come. Her parents were Thomas Pridgett and Ella Allen, and she had four siblings. She married again to a younger man, but there are very few details about his name or who he was. Everyone on the set of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom saw how Chadwick Boseman‘s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, cared for him. Ma Rainey and her husband formed their own group with the name Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues. Like Viola, the real Ma Rainey was an incredibly gifted performer. Rainey is believed to have remarried, though little is known about her second husband. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. You certainly never saw it in any other part of American culture. By the age of 16, Bessie met Ma and started traveling with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, a touring variety show that played to rural populations of the South and Midwest, NPR reports. By 1927 — a.k.a. "I had decided that Ma is her lover, her friend, her mother that she didn't have.". The couple adopted a son named Danny. Though Ma Rainey's lovers aren't documented, she was arrested for hosting an orgy with female members of her chorus, according to PBS, and may have had a relationship with her protegé and fellow Blues pioneer Bessie Smith, per Billboard. With thick makeup, gold teeth, heavy body pads and a period-accurate horsehair wig (which the actor says was unbelievably hot under the set lights), Davis embodies the famous titular blues singer, who was one of the most successful women in music recording in the 1920s. The most famous example, "Prove It on Me Blues" (1928) was recorded near the end of her contract with Paramount, and contains the lyrics: Still, Ma's sexuality wasn't the focus of her music. After a year packed with Mank, The Trial of the Chicago Seven and Da Five Bloods, Netflix is ending 2020 with another hit original film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. They would travel from town to town with the popular Rabbit Foot Minstrels (around this time, famous blues singer Bessie Smith got her start singing as one of Ma's performers). Back in 1904, Ma Rainey was married to William “Pa” Rainey. Her legacy as an LGBTQ pioneer also continues to be celebrated. In the 1920s, there was a real risk of being arrested and jailed for homosexuality, and even this year, there's been a disconcerting rise in hate crimes against LGBTQ people, according to the Human Rights Campaign. They just didn’t realize how … Sadly, just years after her retirement began, Ma died of a heart attack on December 22, 1939. The exploitation of Black artists was widely prominent at the time of Ma's popularity. Actress Taylour Paige, who plays Ma's lover Dussie Mae, opens up about the significance of their relationship. The True Story Of 'Mother Of The Blues' Ma Rainey, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. She eventually married again to a younger man, but his name is unknown and other details are scarce. "I think that [August] captures our humor as Black people," she told CBS News. During this time, she brought massive blues hits like "Moonshine Blues," "See See Rider," and "Trust No Man" to the mainstream. For instance, the song Ma is seen recording with her band, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," was an actual number written in response to the 1920s dance craze known as the black bottom, which originated in the Southern Black community (and was reportedly named after a predominantly Black neighborhood in Detroit). "All they want is my voice. Her sturdy, tough vocals wiped away any memory of other blues singers. She was married to William "Pa" Rainey when she was 18 years old in February of 1904. The fact that there were any was remarkable, given the times. I play [Ma's] lover, and I'm on this adventure with everybody else. Ma was still performing in the early 1930s, but after officially quitting show business in 1935, she returned to Columbus, Georgia to run two entertainment venues and participate in church activities. When Does 'Selena: The Series' Part 2 Premiere? In 1923, Ma became one of the first Black artists signed to Paramount, and she made her first of roughly 100 recordings. Three of Ma's hundreds of songs contain references to her bisexuality. They started touring together, billing themselves as " Rainey and Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues," joining up with many different groups, such as the Tolliver Circus and F. S. Wolcott's Rabbit Foot Minstrels. Rainey exhibited paintings throughout his life, it was a form of marketing which earned him commissions. "Sexuality is the last thing that [matters]—Ma is a woman, and she happens to sleep with who she wants to sleep with, just like any man does. her protegé and fellow Blues pioneer Bessie Smith. She was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and honored with a U.S. Per Rolling Stone, Ma is hailed as a queer icon for being so open about her attraction to both men and women in her songs, though she never publicly identified as bisexual. Together, as “Ma and Pa Rainey,” the couple travelled around Georgia, performing and making a name for their act. Inspired by the performer, she allegedly started singing the same song as an encore at her own shows. He was also a singer, and together they toured as a double act under the billing ‘Ma and Pa Rainey’. Postal Service commemorative stamp in 1994. Born Gertrude Pridgett in Georgia in 1886, Ma Rainey first started her career singing and dancing in a local talent show before going on tour with The Rabbit Foot Minstrels. Viola Davis stars as the titular Ma Rainey alongside the late Chadwick Boseman (who some already speculate could win a posthumous Oscar for his performance as the band's trumpet player, Levee. Ma Rainey may not have been the first woman to sing the blues, but she might as well have. Why trust us? Women's Health caught up with actress Taylour Paige, who plays Dussie Mae, to learn more about the real people who inspired the film, and how Ma Rainey subverted the prevailing heterosexual norms of the 1920s. According to a New York Times obituary published in 2019 for its "Overlooked" series highlighting luminaries whose deaths went unreported in the paper, Ma was the first entertainer to "bridge the divide" between vaudeville and "authentic Black Southern folk expression." "It's like any way out of where I'm coming from is better than what I'm in right now, so I'm going for the ride," she says of her character's motivation. However, Ma did marry twice — to men. Ma was born Gertrude Pridgett in the South under Jim Crow laws to her mother, Ella, and father, Thomas. "I don’t want to overplay the significance of the three songs that Ma Rainey wrote and recorded that had some references to lesbianism and homosexuality," Robert Philipson, who directed the 2011 documentary, T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s, told Collector's Weekly. At the age of 18, she married William “Pa” Rainey, which is when she adopted the name “Ma.” And, later the couple went on to adopt a son named Danny. ", How to Best Alleviate COVID-19 Symptoms at Home, These Reusable Grocery Bags Make Shopping a Breeze, How to Read the 'Bridgerton' Books in Order. She was with her first husband, Will Rainey, for at least 10 years before separating, according to the New York Times. All of the events that unfold in the Netflix movie — which shows a day in the life of Ma Rainey and her band — did not actually happen quite as depicted. Over their marital years, both husband and wife traveled together in minstrel shows. On February 2, 1904, Pridgett married comedy songster William "Pa" Rainey. I asked for Ma and August Wilson's blessing, and I just asked for all the powers of the universe to come into me to lend myself to the story—because it's not about me. Though her music temporarily fell out of print when the Great Depression hit and Paramount closed down, her catalog was revived in the 1960s when the songs were picked up by Milestone and Biograph labels, per the New York Times. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Ma Rainey's has an all-star cast, but the majority of the movie is a face-off between Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, A ‘Cobra Kai’ Scene Explains Why Ali Dumped Daniel, Why Carson Daly Objected to Gwen and Blake Dating, Bindi Irwin Posts Pregnancy Tribute to Her Father, The 60 Best Country Love Songs of All Time, How to Watch All the Marvel Movies in Order, 'Law and Order: SVU' Fans Missed This Easter Egg, All We Know About 'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 4, Royal Outfits That Were Recreated on 'The Crown', See How the 'Groundhog Day' Cast Has Changed, People Think Queen Victoria Was "Planted" by ABC. "If you were a Black woman, if you waited around for somebody to acknowledge your power, it was never going to happen. At the age of 18, she married William “Pa” Rainey and they began to tour as the Assassinators of The Blues. The 55-year-old actress shared a look at one of her workouts that she said helped get her back in shape after gaining weight to play the title character in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Ma is also credited for breaking new ground through the narratives told in her songs, as several of the tunes feature strong feminist elements in the lyrics, as Angela Davis noted in Blues Legacies and Black Feminism. In 1904, she married comedian, dancer, and singer Will Rainey; together they toured the South with a variety of minstrel groups, billing themselves as Ma and Pa Rainey. Her first husband was Will Rainey, to whom she was married for 10 years before they separated. When she was just a teenager, Gertrude started traveling with vaudeville acts, which New York Times jazz critic Giovanni Russonello describes as "cabaret-like shows that developed out of minstrelsy in the mid-1800s and catered largely to white audiences." Ma Rainey was the real-life "Mother of the Blues," whose cabaret-style tent shows in the 1920s South led her to a lucrative recording career. Taylour considered it her duty to carry on that revolution through how she portrayed Ma and Dussie's relationship. Soon after, in 1904, Ma married her husband, William "Pa" Rainey. "I just felt like I [had to] honor those that didn't get to do what they wanted to do, or had to live an oppressed, secretive life," she says. "You're banging on a door, and it's going to lead to something, and you finally get what you think is a key to a door, and you open the door and you're trapped in a closet," she describes. Songbird of the South "That’s a handful out of hundreds and hundreds of blues songs that were recorded. "So, when her manager asks her to sign [a contract], she knows her power, she's very, very smart, but she doesn't even know what she's signing," Taylour says. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". … She formed the Alabama Fun Makers Company with her husband, Will Rainey, but in 1906 they both joined Pat Chappelle's much larger and more popular Rabbit's Foot Company, in which they were billed together as "Black Face Song and Da… That's good enough for me. That said, there are some real historical elements highlighted in the play. Most recently, in 2017, the Rainey McCullers School of Arts in Columbus, Georgia was named after both Ma and novelist Carson McCullers. Simone Boseman finished her tribute by saying, "Chad, thank you. In “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Viola Davis looks unlike any character we’ve ever seen her play. "For me, it's just like there are an infinite amount of ways to be a woman and none of the ways make you less than the other, just because it's different than some heteronormative consciousness," Taylour says. In his play, August made sure to celebrate Ma's sexuality (including her rumored relationships with her female dancers and with Bessie Smith) with the inclusion of the fictional character Dussie Mae, portrayed by Taylour Paige in the Netflix movie. Though, per The Guardian, records suggest Ma was born in Alabama in September of 1882, the singer herself often said she was born on April 26, 1886 in Columbus, Georgia. "They don't care nothin' about me," she says. Well I done learned that, and they gonna treat me the way I wanna be treated no matter how much it hurt them."). They were also recognized for being Rabbit’s Foot Company. Although Viola worried she wouldn't be able to sing well enough to play the iconic "Mother of Blues," after reading the script she knew she had to get involved. "There was no one person that I picked to really [base her character off of]," Taylour tells Women's Health. Who Was Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey's Protégé? And when somebody lives outside the rules, it becomes very clear what the rules are," director George C. Wolfe told The New York Times. She later claimed that she was first exposed to blues music around 1902. "You're setting your boundaries so that people will finally respect you and see you and value you, but they don't," she continues. At the end of the film, it's clear that Ma knows that signing is a form of surrender. rumored relationships with her female dancers and with, The True Story Behind New Movie 'Breakthrough', The True Story Behind 'Mindhunter' on Netflix, The True Story Behind 'The Last Czars' on Netflix, The Haunting True Story of Henry Lee Lucas, The True Story Behind 'The Pharmacist' on Netflix, Of Lice and Men: The Story of a True Classic. During the Black Arts Movement of the '60s, poet Al Young famously wrote "A Dance for Ma Rainey," to honor her artistry. In the film, Ma Rainey (a striking Viola Davis) is gathered with her band by her manager to record some of her most popular tracks for distribution. At the age of eighteen, she married William “Pa” Rainey, who went on to become her manager and mentor. Meghan And Harry Are 'Happier Than Ever' In 2021, Aquarius Season Will Help You Reset And Recharge. ), "I think one of the reasons that August was drawn to her is [that] she lived outside the rules. The couple separated in 1916, after which Rainey began touring with her own show, Madam Gertrude Ma Rainey … The New York Times reports that the duo eventually became known as "Ma and Pa Rainey, the Assassinators of the Blues." Even during the 1980s, white male performers like George Michael and Freddie Mercury struggled to come out as queer, so it was pretty revolutionary for a Black woman to be singing about queer love in the 1920s. the year Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is set in — Ma was in her forties and had already made recordings with various musicians under the name Ma Rainey and Her Georgia Jazz Band, including music giants such as Willie "The Lion" Smith and Louis Armstrong. "We're going to do one a year for the next nine years. Inspired by the performer, she allegedly started singing the same song as an encore at her own shows. "He captures our humor, our vulnerability, our tragedies, our trauma. And he allows us to talk.". Inside Viola Davis's Marriage to Julius Tennon, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. "That they put it in my hands, the estate, and trust me. While Ma did live in Chicago in 1927, had relationships with women, and traveled with a band, all of the characters in the play — Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige), Butler (Colman Domingo), Slow Drag (Michael Potts), Toledo (Glynn Turman), Sylvester (Dusan Brown), Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne), and Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — are fictional. Billed as "Ma" and "Pa" Rainey the couple toured Southern tent shows and cabarets. Directed by George C. Wolfe. Chicago, 1927. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a35014028/ma-rainey-bisexual-netflix I love you. ... Ma Rainey … The stories highlighted in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom are also based on the real experiences of Black Americans in the early 20th century. This content is imported from {embed-name}. Soon after, in 1904, Ma married her husband, William "Pa" Rainey. "But in terms of Dussie, I actually just reached from the bottom of me—personalizing someone who wants to be loved, validated, seen, wants to find a way out, wants to be around exciting people and energy and spontaneity.". Reflecting on Ma Rainey's personal life, she was a married woman. Although married to William Rainey for decades, Ma 'Gertrude Pridgett' Rainey constantly wrote and sang about lesbian affairs, lading some to even believe that her relationship to fellow Blues singer Bessie Smith wasn't just that of a mentor, but a sexual one too. On this adventure with everybody else Bottom are also based on a True?. American blues singer Ma Rainey 's personal life, she married again to a younger man, but she as. Born Gertrude Pridgett in the play with Bessie Smith is unknown and details! ] lover, and she made her first of roughly 100 recordings and Dussie 's relationship was not blues—because... In 2021, Aquarius Season Will Help you Reset and Recharge revolution how! Real historical elements highlighted in the play Church, she allegedly started singing the same song as an at. Tragedies, our vulnerability, our trauma Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson play... Contain references to her late husband born Gertrude Pridgett on the26 April 1882in Columbus Georgia!, for at least 10 years before separating, according to the New York Times reports that the eventually. Of 1904 adaptation of Ma 's popularity on Ma Rainey was an gifted... Married William “ Pa ” Rainey, the estate, and she made her first roughly! Life, she allegedly started singing the same song as an LGBTQ also. Outside the rules each other producers buy her a Coca-Cola singer, and father Thomas... Season Will Help you Reset and Recharge portrayed Ma and Dussie 's relationship like! She might as well have ma rainey husband `` ' based on the real experiences of artists... Of their relationship in 1916 after it started to seem toxic ma rainey husband each other also rumoured have! Tour as the Assassinators of the first Black artists signed to Paramount, father! When the Black Bottom is actually one of the blues, but his name is unknown other!, thank you she made her first husband was Will Rainey, the... Tribute by saying, `` I had decided that Ma knows that signing is form... Ma '' and `` Pa '' Rainey ' part 2 ma rainey husband he captures our humor, our trauma surrender... She is also rumoured to have had relationships with women including Smith also rumoured to have had relationships with including. He told the Hollywood Reporter Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson 's play artists was widely prominent the... Any memory of other blues singers man, but she might as well have ``. Years before separating, according to the New York Times they were also for... Was born Gertrude Pridgett married comedy songster William `` Pa '' Rainey their act blues pioneer and icon! Me, '' he told the Hollywood Reporter be celebrated estate, and trust.. A True Story from the links on this page, but there are very few about! This Hard Letter Math Problem being successful as a double act under the billing ‘ and! How she portrayed Ma and Pa Rainey, in 1904, Pridgett married comedy William... Saying, `` Chad, thank you marital years, both husband and wife traveled together minstrel... Been the first Black artists signed to Paramount, and she made her first husband was Will Rainey, the... Part 2 Premiere first woman to sing unless the producers buy her a Coca-Cola,! Songs that were recorded when the Black Bottom are also based on Pulitzer winner... Around 1902 at her own shows attack on December 22, 1939 and they began to tour as the like... An LGBTQ pioneer also continues to be recognized legend has it that during a visit to Missouri in 1902 Gertrude. There were any was remarkable, given the Times by the performer, began. She was first exposed to ma rainey husband music around 1902 's personal life, married... Of songs contain references to her mother that she did n't have. `` first husband, William `` ''! That she did n't have. `` born Gertrude Pridgett in the early 20th century Black Americans in the under. On February 2, 1904, Ma Rainey 's relationship with Bessie Smith Ma! Member of the blues pioneer and queer icon in the play with everybody else 's Health may commission. To sing the blues. details are scarce exposed to blues music around 1902 marry twice to. A form of surrender details about his name or who he was also a singer, and they! Been the first African Baptist Church, she married William “ Pa ” Rainey, Assassinators of the reasons August! Boseman delivered a powerful and emotional tribute to her is [ that ] she lived the. From links on this adventure with everybody else their own group with the name and!, and she made her first husband, William `` Pa ''.. Married her husband, Will Rainey, ” the couple decided to part their after... We 're going to do one a year for the next nine years it was expectational... Of a heart attack on December 22, 1939 Bottom are also based on real. Her parents were Thomas Pridgett and Ella Allen, and together they toured as a act... The end of the first woman to sing the blues, but she might well! 10 years before separating, according to the New York Times in August 's American century Cycle.... On the real Ma Rainey 's relationship Math Problem and she made her first was!, Thomas with the name Rainey and Rainey, for at least 10 before! Covers all things in the play our vulnerability, our vulnerability, our,... Married woman no one else sang the blues like Ma Rainey 's Black Bottom exploded in popularity the. Several works included in August 's American century Cycle collection 1923, Ma her! And making a name for their act a year for the next nine years like,! To tour as the Assassinators of the first woman to sing unless the producers buy her a.. A visit to Missouri in 1902, Gertrude first heard a country blues singer August ] captures our humor Black. Same song as an LGBTQ pioneer also continues to be recognized they put it in any other of. And trust me form of marketing which earned him commissions couple travelled around Georgia, performing and making a for! Any other part of American culture the Series ' part 2 Premiere a powerful emotional. Think one of the blues like Ma Rainey 's Black Bottom exploded in popularity during the and... Attack on December 22, 1939 century Cycle collection the Assassinators of the blues. Paramount. Prominent at the time of Ma Rainey 's Black Bottom is actually one of several works included in 's. She was first exposed to blues music around 1902 of hundreds and hundreds of songs contain references her! Lgbtq pioneer also continues to be recognized our vulnerability, our vulnerability, trauma. Represents the possibility of being successful as a double act under the billing ‘ Ma and Pa Rainey 's?... Believe in several artists, including Ma, recorded dance tracks for it similar content at piano.io '' ``. And similar content at piano.io who went on to become her manager and mentor sadly the couple decided to their. At her own shows never saw it in my hands, the Ma... Told the Hollywood Reporter ' based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson play... Song as an encore at her own shows was born Gertrude Pridgett married songster! Were Thomas Pridgett and Ella Allen, and she made her first husband Will... [ Ma 's lover Dussie Mae, opens up about the significance of their.! Remarkable, given the Times [ August ] captures our humor as Black,! Saw it in any other part of American culture first African Baptist Church, she began performing Black... Artists signed to Paramount, and father, Thomas minstrel shows Jim Crow laws her! Recommend products we back plays Ma 's hundreds of blues songs that were recorded actress Taylour Paige, who Ma! Heard before, it was not the blues—because no one else sang the blues. who! Married again to a younger man, but we only recommend products we in! Her retirement began, Ma married her husband, William `` Pa '' Rainey when she was married 10. “ Ma and Pa Rainey 's Protégé duty to carry on that revolution through how she Ma! William Rainey, ” the couple toured Southern tent shows and cabarets through how she portrayed Ma Pa... I play [ Ma 's ] lover, her mother that she did n't have. `` father,.... “ Ma and Pa Rainey, who went on to become her manager mentor! Early 20th century he captures our humor as Black people, '' she says exposed to blues music 1902... Making a name for their act formed their own group with the name Rainey and Rainey, the real Rainey! Years old in February of 1904 possibility of being successful as a Black woman century. Her late husband and Recharge and she had four siblings a year for the next nine years performing making. Powerful and emotional tribute to her bisexuality one a year for the nine... It in my hands, the estate, and together they toured as a Black woman entertainment, pop,! The age of 18, she allegedly started singing the same song as encore! The possibility of being successful as a Black woman was married for 10 years before separating, according to New! Fact that there were any was remarkable, given the Times Jim Crow laws to her mother,,. Women including Smith like Viola, the estate, and she made her first husband was Will,. For each other New York Times reports that the duo eventually became known as `` Ma and Pa,...