Trailblazing impressionist inspires after success, hurdles
Comedian Sylvia Traymore Morrison brings laughs to the classroom
Sylvia Traymore Morrison, the first Black woman impressionist and the first Black woman to write for Saturday Night Live speaks to FOX 5's Marissa Mitchell
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sylvia Traymore Morrison may be from Washington, D.C., but her impact extends across the country and around the world.
Widely regarded as the first black female impressionist in the U.S. and the first black woman to write for Saturday Night Live, Morrison has inspired generations for more than five decades in media and entertainment.
Morrison sat down with FOX 5’s Marissa Mitchell to discuss her career, personal life and plans for the year in an upcoming episode of "Motivation with Marissa." The two met after Morrison shared her story and performed for students in late February at Murch Elementary School in northwest DC. The visit was orchestrated by Chloe Kaplan, founder of Amore Learning.
"I am always fascinated by children, but today I was mesmerized because there was a mixture. And they wouldn’t let anything go that I said. They were right there with it! It inspired me… I am delighted that I was invited," Morrison added.
She did impressions for the children but also told them that she first learned of her gift as a child while mimicking crickets.
One of Morrison’s first performances was at Constitution Hall in DC. She later hosted a roast for boxing great Muhammad Ali in 1969. Then later, she was a writer for SNL. She also toured nearly 30 cities with Whitney Houston as the singer’s opening act in the eighties. She can do it all, including impressions of famous people, including Whoopi Goldberg, Wendy Williams and former first lady Michelle Obama.
But with all the success. Morrison did take some hard professional hits. She talked about doing comedy in New York clubs for nearly a decade and being told the reason she received standing ovations each week had nothing to do with her talent. She recounted to Mitchell an incident with a club owner.
"He said, ‘You are a little colored girl. They feel sorry for you,’" Morrison recalled. "Here I am by myself. I don't know anyone. It is me by myself walking the streets of New York City alone…I can't tell you what that did to my soul, the depth. God gave me this gift, and you tell me I stink?"
But Morrison pushed through. She has authored books. And she plans to host a major show in DC in the Spring. She canceled the one she had previously scheduled for the Kennedy Center in April after President Trump overhauled the center’s board and became its chairman.
"Since I have been through so much, I am able to motivate myself," she shared. "I know what it's like to be turned down and to hear ‘no’ all the time and see all my friends, especially the guys, get all the jobs. And I am just sitting back watching. But I never lost hope, not one day."
Sylvia Traymore Morrison’s episode of ‘Motivation with Marissa’ streams Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. on FOX Local.