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Stage Name |
Birth Name |
Al Jolson |
Asa "Jolie" Yoelson |
| "The World's Greatest
Entertainer" |
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| Albert Jolson |
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Comedian, Singer, Dancer and
Actor who briefly performed in Minstrel, Vaudeville and Burlesque
shows doing Black Face Comedy and dance. His father emigrated
to the states and sent for his family after establishing himself
in the United States. At 8 years old, "Jolie's" (Al's
nickname) mother had died and the young Al was devastated
but would soon find his outlet in the theater. Soon he was singing
with his older brother, Harry [1884-1952], for Senators and soldiers.
He also would entertain the troops that were headed for the Spanish-American
War.
He was eventually signed by
Lew Dockstader's' Minstrels where he got his main training for
the legitimate theatre. After this stint with Dockstader's, the
Shubert Brothers signed him to work at the Winter Garden theatre
in 1912, he was now 26 years old, talented and an experienced
performer. He would become one of the most famous and loved performers
in Broadways history, especially at the Winter Garden. It is said
that he possessed an "electric personality," |
| More
Photos |
along with the ability
to make each member of the audience believe that he was
singing only to them. He wrote many songs, some political,
as well as sang hundred's of popular titles. He was the
first music artist to sell over 10 million copies of a song. |
Jolson made entertainment history when
he starred in the first sound film ("a talkie")
called the "Jazz Singer" in 1927 where he "electrified
the screen and the audience with his memorable and historic
performance. In 1946 the Movie entitled "The Al Jolson
Story" which portrayed his life was the highest grossing
film of the year... which led to the sequel in 1949 entitled
"Al Jolson Sings Again." Most famous entertainers
may get one, but Jolson received three, yes three (3) Stars
on the Hollywood 'Walk of Fame'. One (1) for Motion Pictures
(6622 Hollywood Boulevard,) One (1) for Radio (6750 Hollywood
Boulevard,) and another for Recording (1716 Vine Street)
in Hollywood, California.
Al Jolson was a great and talented entertainer
but is heavily connected to racial stereotyping during his
time as well as today. I don't know if that was how he really
felt and/or if it was just the parts he was hired to play.
But his minstrel Blackface comedy, dumb "Sambo Nigger"
routines, Language slurs, Eating
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"You ain't heard nothing yet" |
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Watermelon,
Ribs, etc. altho somewhat common and accepted at the time,
was, and is unacceptable by today's standards. But this
style of entertainment was waning fast, and was becoming
less popular over time, which may have helped his career
to decline. It is unfortunate that such a talented person
couldn't be remembered for more than what he portrayed in
some of his acts and songs. Whether he was aware or not,
he helped further the racial thinking of many, (and
not just the Caucasian's) thru his music, stage acts
and movies that was spread to a much larger audience than
the local minstrel show's of the past, in which racial inequality
may have declined sooner if he didn't capitalize on it,
and spread it
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further. On
the other hand, his acts, altho funny and entertaining,
may have helped people to see how wrong it really was. His
form of entertainment did, even tho it was racially wrong,
did help to open a closed door to African-American's into
the entertainment system. As with the entertainment industry,
if it wasn't him, it may have been someone else.
In 1950 while entertaining
the American troops, his health declined and shortly after
his return to the U.S. he suffered a massive heart attack
and died. He is interred at one of the most elaborate burial
sites in the USA located at the Hillside Memorial Park,
Culver City, California. He was married a total of five
times.
There is so much written on Al Jolson on the web, I will
stop here unless it is dance related. |
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Birth Place |
Birth Date |
Spouse |
Offspring |
| Srednik, Russia |
5/26/1886 - 10/23/1950 |
Erle Chennault Galbraith (1945) |
< Asa Jr (b.1948), Alicia (b.1949) |
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Ruby Keeler
(1928) |
< Al Jr. (b.1935) Adopted |
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Ethel Delmar (1922) |
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Henrietta Keller (1907) |
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Dance Types |
Dance Partners |
Sheet Music Covers |
| Ballroom |
Patsy Kelly (pictured) |
Down In Bom-Bambay |
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Ruby
Keeler |
Good Bye Boys (Dockstader's) |
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I'm Glad My Wife's In Europe (1914) |
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Partial Music Titles |
| After You've Gone |
Last Night On The Back Porch (1923) |
| Anniversary Song |
Little Pal (1929) |
| April Showers (1921) |
Liza! |
| Arcady (1923) |
Ma Blushin' Rosie |
| Are You Happy (1914) |
Massa's In De Cold, Cold Ground
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| Are You Lonesome Tonight |
Morning Will Come (1923) |
| Avalon |
My Mother's Rosary |
| Back Home In Tennessee (1915) |
My Sumurun Girl |
| Back In Your Own Back Yard (1927) |
My Tom Tom Man |
| Baghdad (1918) |
No More Worryin' |
| Billy Billy Bounce Your Baby Doll
(1912) |
O, Susanna! |
| California, Here I Come (1924) |
Oh!, How I Wish I Could Sleep (1918) |
| Camptown Races |
Oh, You Beautiful Doll |
| Carolina Mammy (1923) |
Old Black Joe |
| Carolina In The Morning |
Old Fashioned Girl in a Gigham
Gown (1922) |
| Chinatown, My Chinatown |
Old Kitchen Kettle |
| Dancing The Blues Away (1914) |
Remember Mother's Day |
| Dark Eyes (1932) |
Rock A Bye Your Baby (1953) |
| Down Among The Sheltering Palms
(1915) |
Say It With Words (1929) |
| Down In Bom-Bombay (1915) |
Sent My Wife to the 1000 Isles
(1916) |
| Everybody Rag With Me (1914) |
So Long Mother (1917) |
| For Me And My Gal |
Sonny Boy (1927) |
| Four Walls (1927) |
Swanee! |
| Give My Regards To Broadway |
Sweet Ones (1923) |
| Good Bye Boys (1913) |
Tennessee - I Hear You Calling
Me (1914) |
| Grieving For You (1920) |
The World Is In My Arms |
| Harding, You're the Man For Us
(1920) |
There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder
(1928) |
| He'd Have To Get Under (1913) |
To My Mammy! (Mammy 1929) |
| Hello Central (1918) |
Toot Toot Tootsie (Goodbye) |
| I Love Her Oh! Oh! Oh! (1913) |
Trouble's a Bubble |
| I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak |
Yoo-Hoo (1921) |
| I Wonder What's Become of Sally
(1924) |
You Made Me Love You |
| I Gave Her That (1919) |
Waiting For The Robert E. Lee |
| I'm Glad My Wife's In Europe (1914) |
When The Grown Up Ladies Act Like
Baby (1915) |
| I'm Goin' South (1922) |
Where The Black-Eyed Susan's Grow
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| I'm Just Wild About Harry |
Who Played Poker with Pocahontas |
| I'm Sitting On Top Of The World
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Why Cant You Say it With Songs
(1929) |
| In Old Grenada (1921) |
Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula (1916) |
| Keep Cool with Coolidge |
You're A Dangerous Girl (1916) |
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Night Clubs |
Theaters |
Stage |
| n/a |
Morosco Theatre (1921) |
1931- Ziegfeld
Follies |
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Winter Garden Theatre (1912) |
1921 - Bombo (Wintergarden) |
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The Singing Fool |
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Whirl Of Society (Wintergarden) |
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Partial Films |
Television / Radio |
Publications |
| 1923 - Mammy's
Boy |
NBC Radio "The Shell Chateau Hour"
(1935) |
Al Jolson Discography (Larry F Kiner) |
| 1926 - A Plantation Act |
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5/1925 - Vanity Fair |
| 1927- The Jazz Singer |
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| 1928 - The Singing Fool |
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| 1929 - Say It With Songs |
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| 1929 - New York Nights |
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| 1930 - Mammy! |
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| 1930 - Show Girl In Hollywood |
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| 1934 - Wonder Bar |
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| 1935 - Go Into Your Dance |
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| 1936 - The Singing Kid |
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| 1939 - Hollywood Cavalcade |
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| 1946 - Al Jolson Story, the |
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| 1949 - Jolson Sings Again (pt 2
of Al Jolson Story) |
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Ballrooms
