Carol Douglas, a Brooklyn native, grew up surrounded by showbiz folks and dreamed of becoming a dramatic actress. However, her mom, jazz performer Minnie Newsome, whom the world knows as “Minnie the Moocher,” had other plans. “Minnie the Moocher” was her mother’s stage name and Cab Calloway wrote a song about her. Through those family ties, she was a cousin of "the late, great Sam Cooke." Carol started out acting with James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson, but she got into music because of her mom, who pushed her into it. The talented teen was accepted into Quintano’s Young Professional High School, working alongside big names like Patty Duke, Bernadette Peters and Gregory Hines. Her mother began hanging out with the mothers of these big names and that is how Carol got to do a lot of TV commercials. By 1974, her resume packed with experience, Carol was recruited to record an American version of "Doctor's Orders," a hit in the UK by the act, Sunny. She began her career as a child entertainer, winning “Name That Tune” at the age of 10. “Ebony” magazine then followed her rising career for three years. She eventually went on to win Amateur Night at the famed Apollo Theater and then to record commercial voiceovers. That led to acting roles, including The Patty Duke Show, being an understudy for a character in “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and a co-starring turn alongside James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson in the play “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl.” Her acting career then turned to singing. All those years in the trenches helped prepare Carol for the media frenzy when her signature song, “Doctor’s Orders” – one of the first hits of the disco era – cracked the Top 10 in 1975. She and Gloria Gaynor were the first divas to perform at Studio 54. She was enough of a disco star that her name appears on the marquee of the disco featured in the movie “Saturday Night Fever,” even though she did not appear in the film. Carol and John Travolta appeared on “The Midnight Special” together. Carol hit #1 on the disco chart with the song "Midnight Love Affair" in 1976. The retro-boom of the 1990s got Carol back on the road, performing with her old colleagues. In fact, following the death of Donna Summer in 2012, Carol recorded the “Disco Tribute to Donna Summer” album with Anita Ward, Thelma Houston, Maxine Nightingale, Linda Clifford and Montreal’s very own France Joli. Carol insists she’s no living legend. She is just happy to be from the disco era and she is happy to still be performing with her diva friends. She has maintained her career and kept herself known by performing at reunion tours, parties, weddings, and birthdays. Carol enjoys performing because she continues to be able to meet many happy people. She is proud that "Doctor's Orders" still resonates with fans after all these years.
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