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Lucky Sambo
''Lucky Sambo'' was a 1925 musical comedy staged on Broadway. It originally toured as ''Aces and Queens'' in 1923 and 1924. It was by Porter Grainger and Freddy Johnson. It played at the Colonial Theatre (New York City). Time magazine described it as an imitator of ''Shuffle Along''. A June 8, 1925 New York Times write-up for it at the Colonial Theatre called it an amusing and "agile entertainment". A 1925 advertisement ran for it at the New Hyperion theater. The ad touted it as "The Black Streak of Lightning" and "The World's Fastest Show". It starred Billy Higgins and Joe Byrd. They were also together in ''Midnight Steppers'' in 1927. Ernest Whitman appeared in a touring version of the show. Cast *Billy Higgins * Joe Byrd *3 Dixie Song Birds (including Amanda Randolph and Hilda Perleno) *Ernest Whitman *Jim Vaughn and His Jazz Hands *30 High Yellows *20 Seal Skinned Browns See also * Jesse A. Shipp * Johnny Hudgins *Gertie Brown Gertie Brown Moore (born Gilberta Gertrude ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porter Grainger
Porter Grainger ( Granger; October 22, 1891 − October 30, 1948) was an American pianist, songwriter, playwright, and music publisher. Biography When Grainger was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Granger family name did not include an "i". Although the exact date at which Grainger changed his name is unknown, he registered for the World War I draft by signing his name "Grainger". At that time, he was living in Chicago, and by 1916, he had begun his professional career. In the spring of 1920 he left Chicago for New York City, and by 1924, he was living in Harlem. Working with another pianist and composer Bob Ricketts, in 1926, Grainger wrote and published the book ''How to Play and Sing the Blues Like the Phonograph and Stage Artists''. Though he would never really be known as an exceptional soloist in his own right, Grainger thrived as an accompanist, working with singers such as Fannie May Goosby, Viola McCoy, Clara Smith, and Victoria Spivey. From 1924 to 1928, he wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freddy Johnson
Freddy Johnson (March 12, 1904 – March 24, 1961) was an American jazz pianist and singer who gained popularity in the 1930s playing mostly swing style. Biography Johnson began playing professionally as Florence Mills' accompanist, and formed his own band in 1924. In 1925 he worked with Elmer Snowden, and in 1926 he worked with Billy Fowler. He briefly worked with Henri Saparo and Noble Sissle, and then he joined Sam Woodings band and traveled to Europe in June 1928. Wooding and Johnson parted ways in 1929, and Johnson returned to Paris to do solo work. While he was in Paris, he with Arthur Briggs and put together a band. Between late 1933 and 1934 Johnson worked with Freddy Taylor's band, and then in February 1934 Johnson left Paris to work in Belgium and The Netherlands. In the mid 1930s he made some recordings with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. While living in Amsterdam, he co-lead a band with Lex Van Spall, and they played regularly at the Negro Palace in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colonial Theatre (New York City)
The Colonial Theatre in New York City was at Broadway and 62nd Street in what was then the San Juan Hill neighborhood on the Upper West Side, Manhattan.Aberjhani, and Sandra L. West. 2003. ''Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance''. New York: Facts On File, Inc. . P. 290 Originally named the Colonial Music Hall, it was opened in 1905 by Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy.Krefft, Bryan"Colonial Theatre" Cinema Treasures. Web. Retrieved October 25, 2014. Designed by George Keister, the theater had a seating capacity of 1,293. Thompson and Dundy operated the theater for only a few weeks before selling it to Percy G. Williams, who changed the name to Colonial Theatre. It functioned exclusively as a vaudeville house during Williams' stewardship. In 1912, under the management of B.F. Keith, the name was changed to Keith's Colonial Theatre. Five years later the theater was under the management of E.F. Albee, who renamed it the New Colonial Theatre. During the early 1920s, the New C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shuffle Along
''Shuffle Along'' is a musical composed by Eubie Blake, with lyrics by Noble Sissle, and a book written by the comedy duo Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles. One of the most notable all-Black hit Broadway shows, it was a landmark in African-American musical theater, credited with inspiring the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and '30s. The show premiered at the 63rd Street Music Hall in 1921, running for 504 performances, a remarkably successful span for that decade. It launched the careers of Josephine Baker, Adelaide Hall, Florence Mills, Fredi Washington and Paul Robeson, and was so popular it caused "curtain time traffic jams" on West 63rd Street.Kenrick, John"History of The Musical Stage, 1920s Part III: Black Musicals" musicals101.com. Retrieved August 22, 2009. A 2016 adaptation ''Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed'' focused on the challenges of mounting the original production, as well as its lasting effects on Broadway and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ernest Whitman
Ernest Whitman (February 21, 1893 - August 5, 1954) was an American stage and screen actor. He was also billed in some Broadway plays as Ernest R. Whitman. Early years Whitman was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was educated at Tuskegee Institute. He was ordained as a minister in 1907. His participation in Chautauquas led to his becoming an entertainer in vaudeville. Career Whitman debuted as an entertainer in Purcell, Oklahoma. He performed on stage in ''The Last Mile'' and other productions. He sang in a touring production of ''Lucky Sambo'' (1927). He appeared in a number of films, including ''King for a Day'' (1934), ''The Prisoner of Shark Island'' (1936), ''The Green Pastures'' (1936), ''Jesse James'' (1939), ''Gone With the Wind'' (1939), '' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940), ''Among the Living'' (1941), '' Road to Zanzibar'' (1941), '' Cabin in the Sky'' (1943), '' Stormy Weather'' (1943), '' The Lost Weekend'' (1945), '' My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947), ''Banj ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Higgins (vaudeville)
William Weldon Higgins (June 9, 1888 – April 19, 1937) was an American vaudeville entertainer, comedian, singer and songwriter — critically acclaimed, and is historically chronicled, as one of the most popular stage comedians of the 1920s. Langston Hughes named him as one of the "Golden Dozen" black comedians. On various recordings of the 1920s, Higgins used the pseudonym Jazz Caspar ''(aka'' Casper). Biography Early years Higgins was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He was African American and often worked in blackface. He began his career in 1912 as a singer of ballads at private clubs in is hometown of Columbia. Before that, he had been a machinist. Sometime around 1913, he joined Billy King, a widely popular comedian and producer of touring theatrical revues. Higgins co-starred with King in the show ''Two Bills from Alaska''. Higgins performed with King until 1917, when he entered the U.S. Army during World War I. Service in the United States Army During ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Byrd (vaudeville)
Joe Byrd was a vaudeville comedian. He was from Jacksonville, Florida. The '' Indianapolis Freeman'' gave him plaudits in 1914 for his role with "Birdie" Byrd in the duo Byrd & Byrd. He and Billy Higgins starred in '' Black Sambo'' in 1925 and '' Midnight Steppers'' in 1927. Shows *'' My Friend from Kentucky'' (1913/1914) *''Let 'Em Have It'' (1923), co-starring with Billy Ewing *''Aces and Queens'' *''Lucky Sambo ''Lucky Sambo'' was a 1925 musical comedy staged on Broadway. It originally toured as ''Aces and Queens'' in 1923 and 1924. It was by Porter Grainger and Freddy Johnson. It played at the Colonial Theatre (New York City). Time magazine described it ...'' (1925) *''Ace High Revue (1927) *'' Midnight Steppers'' (1927) *''Harlem Darlings'' (1929) *'' Blackbirds of 1939'' (1939) *''Harlem Cavalcade'' (1942) References {{DEFAULTSORT:Byrd, Joe Vaudeville performers Year of birth missing Year of death missing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amanda Randolph
Amanda E. Randolph (September 2, 1896 – August 24, 1967) was an American actress, singer and musician. She was the first African-American performer to star in a regularly scheduled network television show, appearing in DuMont's ''The Laytons''. Early life Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Randolph was the daughter of a Methodist minister and a teacher. She had a younger sister, Lillian who also became an actress. Career Music The Randolph family moved frequently. At the age of 14, Randolph began earning extra money playing the piano and organ in Cleveland, Ohio. Around 1919, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she recorded several piano rolls of hot jazz and blues music for the Vocalstyle company of Cincinnati while working as a musician in Ohio's Lyric Theatre. These are the only known rolls recorded by a black female pianist. Randolph did her work for the company under the name Mandy Randolph. She is shown as the performer of "The Yellow Dog Blues", by W. C. Handy in 1919, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hilda Perleno
Hilda Perleno was an American blues and jazz singer, known for her Broadway appearances in the 1920s and 1930s. Biography Hilda Eugeana Perleno was a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, and attended the music conservatory at Howard University between 1918 and 1922. Her first role as a performer was as a chorus girl in the 1924 production ''In Bamville''. In September 1924, Perleno appeared on Broadway as a chorus girl in ''The Chocolate Dandie''. In 1925-6, she found work as a first soprano for the Harlem Production Company. In 1927 she recorded Donald Heywood's "Mango Lane" and "Susanne", singing a duet with Dan Michaels as the composer accompanied them on the piano. In March 1927, she appeared opposite Berlena Banks and Jesse Shipp in the Negro musical comedy ''Lucky Sambo'' at the La Salle Theatre in Chicago. Perleno, along with Amanda Randolph, was one of the Three Dixie Songbirds in the production. She had been appearing in the production since 1925. Perleno, along with B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Vaughn
James Vaughn may refer to: * Joseph Paul Franklin (1950–2013), American neo-Nazi and serial killer, born James Vaughn * Hippo Vaughn James Leslie "Hippo" Vaughn (April 9, 1888 – May 29, 1966) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. In a career that spanned thirteen seasons, he played for the New York Highlanders (1908, 1910–1912), the Washington Senat ... (1888–1966), American baseball player, born James Leslie Vaughn * James T. Vaughn (1925–2007), American politician and law enforcement officer * James T. Vaughn Jr. (born 1949), American lawyer and judge See also * James Vaughan (other) {{hndis, Vaughn, James ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jesse A
Jesse may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jesse (biblical figure), father of David in the Bible. * Jesse (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Jesse (surname), a list of people Music * ''Jesse'' (album), a 2003 album by Jesse Powell * "Jesse", a 1973 song by Roberta Flack - see Roberta Flack discography * "Jesse", a song from the album ''Valotte'' by Julian Lennon * "Jesse", a song from the album ''The People Tree'' by Mother Earth * "Jesse" (Carly Simon song), a 1980 song * "Jesse", a song from the album ''The Drift'' by Scott Walker * "Jesse", a song from the album '' If I Were Your Woman'' by Stephanie Mills Other * ''Jesse'' (film), a 1988 American television film * ''Jesse'' (TV series), a sitcom starring Christina Applegate * ''Jesse'' (novel), a 1994 novel by Gary Soto * ''Jesse'' (picture book), a 1988 children's book by Tim Winton * Jesse, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Jesse Hall, University of Missour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Hudgins
Johnny Hudgins (May 5, 1896 – 1990) was a vaudeville performer. He sometimes performed in blackface. Hudgins was nicknamed the Wah-Wah Man ( wah-wah) and was known for his mime performances accompanied by accomplished trumpeters. He was friends with fellow vaudevillian Josephine Baker who he performed with in the show ''Chocolate Dandies''. He was also in the show ''Lucky Sambo''. He used burnt cork to blacken his face and performed with exaggerated white lips in many of his performances. His performances drew rave reviews and imitators. Hudgins sought to copyright his performance art. Hudgins performed with Florence Mills and was accompanied by trumpeters including Doc Cheatham, Johnny Dunn, Joe Smith (trumpeter), Louis Metcalf and Rex Stewart. Hudgins was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Career Hudgins performed in Harlem's clubs, toured America, and toured Europe where he was referred to as a "colored" Charlie Chaplin. He also performed with his wife Mildred Martien and Fredi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
