11,870 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is also the birthday of slide guitarist Ry Cooder (b. 1947). Just a quick post here for a shout out for one of my favorite soundtracks, to a movie that’s always been a guilty fav…
Today is the birthday of Sam John “Lightnin’” Hopkins (1912-1982). A Texas native, he was mentored in the blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson, whom he first heard playing at a c…
Today is the birthday of Joe E. Ross (1914-1982). Ross had gotten his start as a singing waiter as a teenager. By that time vaudeville was already a thing of the past. he spent the bulk of h…
Today is the birthday of Chang Yu Sing (a.k.a Chang Woo Gow, 1847-1893). Born in Fuzhou, Fuijan China, he began to grow with startling speed at age 7; by age 18 he was nearly 8 feet tall and…
A post in celebration of Women’s History Month. Today is the birthday of Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair (1857-1939). In 1918, this Scottish aristocrat, phil…
At least the first half hour is, and that’s all the New Improved Duchess and I could stomach, before grabbing our coats and stomping out of the cinema muttering dark promises of reveng…
Today is the birthday of big band leader Les Brown (1912-2001). Now I like swing music well enough, though it’s not my all-consuming passion. But comedy fans will know why he is on my …
 Today is the birthday of Chuck Reisner (1887-1962). Originally a boxer, he performed in vaudeville for ten years and was a Broadway lyricist before going out to Hollywood in 1915 to act…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #461: Clarice Vance (Clara Etta Black, 1870-1961). See my earlier post here for a full biography. Here she singing her 1909 hit “Love Me Lik…
Today is the birthday of the magician Arnold de Biere (1876-1934). Originally from Poland (it is believed) he made his first major success at Tony Pastor’s in 1901. He went on to conqu…
This is a post in honor of Women’s History Month. Today is Kitty Watson’s birthday. Kitty (1886-1967) and Fanny (1885-1970) Watson were both a sister act and a comedy duo, maybe …
Today is the birthday of Jack LeClair (1890-1971). He started out in vaudeville in 1912 with a comedy acrobatic act called the LeClair Trio with Al Stern and Tad Tosky. Most of his career wa…
Aloha! Here we are with this week’s Vaudephone! And a worthy one it is, containing as it does the great Lady Aye (for more info on this interesting performer go here). Please note the …
Filed under: Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Slipper Room
Today is the birthday of Lightning Slim (1913-1974). While cited by many critics as one of the top bluesmen of all time, he has not fared well in the public’s memory, possibly due to t…
Today is the birthday of the late Igor Kio (1944-2006), an internationally famous magician with the Russian circus association. A second generation illusionist ( his father was the famous Em…
A post in celebration of Women’s History Month The Fadettes (1888-1920) were a Boston-based all female orchestra led by Caroline B. Nichols. From a sextet the band expanded to 20 pi…
Today is the birthday of Gracie Doll (Freida Schneider, 1888-1970), one of the quartet of four German midget siblings known as the Doll Family. Along with her brother Harry (best known for h…
Today is Shemp’s birthday! For more on his involvement with the Three Stooges see my article here. What didn’t really get covered in that post is Shemp’s awesome solo caree…
Today at 2pm Eastern, TCM is screening a bit of show business history. The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) was Jack Benny’s last feature film, and was so legendarily bad that Benny immor…
A post in honor of Women’s History Month. Beatrice Herford (1868-1952) was one of the very first women monologists, i.e., comical storytellers of the modern stage. The daught…
Today is the birthday of jazz coronetist (and piano player) Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931). A native of Davenport, Iowa, he was a product of private schools who found himself irresistably drawn…
A post in celebration of Women’s History Month. Irene Woodward (1862-1915) was New York’s second tattooed lady, having launched her career a scant few weeks after the first, N…
A post in celebration of Women’s History Month. Today is the birthday of Raquel Meller (1888-1962). Born Francisca Romana Marques Lopez, she became a star of Spanish cabaret and mus…
Today is the birthday of the great American actor Edwin Forrest (1806-1872). How amusing to note that his birthday is a just a few days away from that of his arch-nemesis William Macr…
