Hi! I don't know how you all celebrate your weekends, but back when I had a life and went out during the weekend, my festivities usually started on Friday evening. Since entertainment and music are the major themes of most weekend adventures, it seemed appropriate to focus on that for Friday BHS as well. Let's get to today's Spotlight!
 |
| Source |
Name: Bert Williams, 1874-1922
Profession: Vaudeville entertainer, actor and comedian
Why is the Spotlight on him today? For his accomplishments in the entertainment industry
Accomplishments:
--Was the first Black performer to record with Victor Talking Machine Company
-- Was, at one time, the highest-paid Black performer
--Helped to popularize the use of parody within an act to make commentary about racial and social issues
--Helped bring the popular dance, the 'cakewalk,' to mainstream society through his and Walker's vaudeville act
--With George Walker, was, at one time, the most visible and popular black performing act in the world
--Was the first Black actor invited by the founder of Ziegfeld's Follies to star in the show and receive feature billing
--Was part of the first interracial Broadway comedy pairing, and the first Black performer to be able to interact with the White principal actresses on stage
--Was the first Black actor to star in a movie
--Is still recognized today as the greatest Black vaudeville performer in African-American history
--Was the first Black performer to be honored in death by the all-white Masonic Lodge in Manhattan
Further reading links:
Hmm. We're only four days in, and already I feel like I'm giving you broken record realness. lol I think Williams and Walker had a great idea, if not controversial, to take on the caricature of the Black person that was so popular at the time. Rather than people of other races doing it primarily to humiliate and poke fun at who we were as a people, they gave it a new meaning while taking back the control. They did the same with the word 'coon' by using it in their stage name, which I am certain was a bold move for the time period.
I wish there'd been more information on Walker's accomplishments and backstory, but since his main claim to fame was as Williams' counterpart in their comedic acts and he died before Williams, I guess I understand why he's a bit harder to find. As always, I strongly suggest reading up on Bert Williams; his story is full of interesting tidbits and information that I really wish I'd been able to include here. I hope you enjoyed today's post and I'll see you tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment