Al Reeves

Al Reeves (18641940) was an American

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

entertainer, vocalist, and banjo player. Catch phrase: "Give me credit, boys." He began performing in 1878, and was heavily involved in the burlesque scene. He later toured with his own company, Al Reeves' Specialty Co. and produced his famous "Big Beauty Show" ("99% Girls 99%") which bragged packed houses for twenty years. He was later known as the "King of Burlesque." Reeves made his only known recordings with Columbia Records and

Edison Records Edison Records was one of the early record labels that pioneered sound recording and reproduction, and was an important player in the early recording industry. The first phonograph cylinders were manufactured in 1888, followed by Edison's found ...

from 1891 and 1893, and around the same time had an inadvertent influence on the young

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

's interest in show business. {{DEFAULTSORT:Reeves, Al 1864 births Place of birth missing 1940 deaths Place of death missing American burlesque performers Vaudeville performers Vaudeville producers