to 1947
to 1950
to 1959
to Featured Artists
to 1947
to 1950
to 1959
to Featured Artists
| Asa Yoelson was brought to the U.S. as a young boy by his father, who expected him to follow
his footsteps and become a cantor in the synagogue. The boy loved to sing, but vaudeville attracted
him more than religious service, and so at thirteen he joined a troupe of minstrels and changed his
name to AL JOLSON (b. Srednik, Russia, May 26, 1886; d. San Francisco, CA, Oct. 23, 1950).
His stage performances, often in blackface (a popular means of comedy at the time) made him into
one of America's first media stars, and he cemented this position by appearing in the first successful,
full-length talking film, The Jazz Singer (1927). Later in life, he labored to bring entertainment
to U.S. troops overseas during and after WWII, touring extensively until his death in 1950.
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