Billy "Red Pepper Sam" Costello: The First Popeye
Rhode Island born William “Billy” Costello (1898-1971) started out in vaudeville under the moniker “Red Pepper Sam”, playing the uke, singing and scatting. In his early days he worked with Ginger Rogers and had been a drummer in Paul Whiteman’s and Fred Waring’s orchestras. In 1930 he got a job doing voiceovers at Fleischer Studios. Costello’s […]