Edna Mae Robinson, 86; Ex-Wife of Boxing Great, Performer and Activist

Edna Mae Robinson, 86, the ex-wife of boxing great “Sugar Ray” Robinson and a one-time performer at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club, died Thursday at her home in New York. The cause of death was not announced.

Edna Mae Holly was the daughter of a clergyman when she met Robinson, a Detroit native who had moved to New York. They were married in July 1943, and she was with Robinson for the most important years of his career.

The couple divorced in 1960 after having one child.

Edna Mae Robinson was active in the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, and supported several charities and educational projects benefiting the black community. Calling on her experience as a Cotton Club performer, Francis Ford Coppola brought Robinson in as a historical advisor on his film “Cotton Club.”

While working in the club, she was famed for dancing atop a huge drum.

She was featured on the first cover of Jet magazine in 1951.