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Al Jolson

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Al Jolson was born Asa Yoelson around 1886 in a village near Kaunas in Lithuania, then still part of the Russian Empire. His father was a rabbi and cantor and took the family to New York in 1894. His mother died in 1895. As a boy he sang in the street with his brother for coins. Around 1902 he worked in a circus, then in vaudeville, and from 1911 he was a star on Broadway, at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York. In his revues he asked the audience for an extra song with the words that they had not heard anything yet.

Music and breakthrough

In January 1920 he recorded Swanee, a song by the twenty-year-old George Gershwin. It was an instant enormous hit and made both the singer and the composer known in America and Europe. In those years Jolson was one of the best-paid stars in the United States. In 1927 he starred in The Jazz Singer, the first major film with spoken dialogue, and in the 1930s a series of musical films followed. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he was the first star to entertain troops overseas. The 1946 film The Jolson Story brought back his popularity.

Influence

His style was extravagant, sentimental and full of energy. He took his repertoire from Black music and brought it to a white audience. This was done in blackface, a tradition that confirmed racist stereotypes. That makes his legacy difficult: he was a pioneer of modern show business, but his act cannot be separated from that practice. He died in 1950.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Swanee and notice the exuberant way of singing, full of emphasis and feeling. Hear how the singer seems to talk to the audience and does not merely recite a melody.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsMinstrel showsEarly sound film (talkies)