Joseph Edgar Howard (February 12, 1867 – May 19, 1961) had to entertain, from the time he was a tot literally until the moment of his death, which occurred with him having just taken an encore on-stage, 86 years later! His story may have made-up elements to it, as was often the fashion among early…Continue Reading Joseph E. Howard: Vaudeville, Broadway and Television by David Soren
Topic: Male Singers
Joe Cook: The One-Man Vaudeville Show by David Soren
Of all the forgotten geniuses of vaudeville, Joe Cook (born Joseph Lopez in Evansville, Indiana 1890 – died New York State, May 15, 1959) is arguably the greatest. A master of versatility, he could sing, dance, act, juggle Indian clubs, perform acrobatics, rotate another human with his feet while lying on his back, tightrope-walk, mime,…Continue Reading Joe Cook: The One-Man Vaudeville Show by David Soren
Al Jolson: Ultimate Vaudeville Superstar by David Soren
No vaudeville collection would be complete without a commentary on the greatest of all vaudeville and Broadway stars of the 1910s and 1920s, Al Jolson. The University of Arizona collection has a large number if not a complete number of Jolson sheet music including one piece signed by him personally. Jolson was a vaudeville…Continue Reading Al Jolson: Ultimate Vaudeville Superstar by David Soren
Cliff Edwards: The Voice of Disney’s Jiminy Cricket by David Soren
If Cliff Edwards (Hannibal, Missouri, June 14, 1895 – Hollywood, July 17, 1971) is remembered at all today it is for two reasons. First is his nickname during his career of Ukulele Ike and the second is his voice-over of the role of Jiminy Cricket in the Walt Disney cartoon Pinocchio of 1940 in which…Continue Reading Cliff Edwards: The Voice of Disney’s Jiminy Cricket by David Soren