Look and Listen

Biography

I'm an inspirational and motivational speaker, author and entertainer. I began her formal theatrical studies at New York University School of the Arts in 1968 and made my professional theatrical debut in "Godspell" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. I went on to perform in the Broadway productions of "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". My regional and touring credits include starring roles in "The Magic Show", Joseph Papp's rock version of "Two Gentlemen of Verona", "Little Ham", "Nunsense", "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope", "Gone With the Wind –the musical", "The Wiz" and "Crowns". I wrote, produced and star in the one-woman musicals "Balancing Act-the Musical" (about how mental illness interrupted my life) and "I Am Domestic Violence". Both of these shows have received national acclaim for the unique way that they provide outstanding entertainment while dealing with important issues in our communities. I have written and performed custom presentations for organizations such as NOW (National Organization for Women), Habitat for Humanity, and the Carter Center. Some of my awards include a Woman of Achievement Award from the Greensboro Commission on the Status of Women, a Belle Ringer Image Award from Bennett College, the Lionel Aldridge Award (a national honor recognizing individuals who provide extraordinary service and courage on behalf of people with mental illnesses), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, North Carolina's President's Award, and a proclamation from the mayor of the city of Toledo, Ohio. Named John Ann Washington at birth, Wambui Bahati is my new legal name taken on during the "reinvention of myself." In Swahili Wambui means "singer of songs," Bahati means, "my fortune is good." I was born in Greensboro, NC. Today, New York City is home and I am the proud mother of two adult daughters.

Inspiration

All of my life I have loved stories. This included not only the stories my mother and father would tell my brothers and sister and I about what it was like living in the "olden times" but also the stories that would unwind through the lyrics sung by singers like Pearl Bailey, Louis Prima, Sammy Davis, Dinah Washington and other singers of this era whose albums my father played in our house. Before I was a teenager, thought that by the time I was sixteen I would have figured out what this whole "life thing" was about. When I realized I had not figured it out, I became interested in reading other people's biographies. I was curious to know how they dealt with life situations and different adversities. When I was in grade school, my favorite book was a book I found in my school library entitled "I Always Wanted To Be Somebody" by Wilma Rudolph. The title seemed to express my desires at the time. I have especially been influenced I black female autobiographies. I fell in love with the theater and performing. As a young adult, I had a fruitful theater career that was cut short when I was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder. After recovering from the mental illness and other challenges (that I was told by experts that I would not be able to recover from), I wanted to perform again. However, I had lost contact with all of my theater connections. I also figured that no one would hire me once they knew of my mental health record. At the same time, I overheard people talking about the fact that I had been a Broadway star and now I was living in public housing and own welfare. It was at this time that I decided to write my own story - to write about how resilient we all are --how powerful we are --how beautiful we are. Some of the writers that brought me inspiration, motivation and comfort during my recovery include Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Iyanla Vansant, David Icke and a host of other self-help and spiritually enlightening writers.