Sister list: List of vaudeville performers: L-Z

This is a partial list of vaudeville performers. Inclusion on this list indicates that the subject appeared at least once on the American vaudeville stage during its heyday between 1881 and 1932. The source in the citation included with each entry confirms their appearance and cites information in the performance notes section.

Vaudeville (sometimes abbreviated as vaude) a style of variety entertainment predominant in America in the late 19th century and early 20th century. A similar development in Britain was known as Music Hall. Developing from many sources, including shows in saloons, minstrelsy, freak shows, dime museums, British pantomimes, and other popular forms of entertainment, vaudeville became one of the most popular types of entertainment in America. Vaudeville took the form of a series of separate, unrelated acts each featuring a different types of performance. These performances could ranges from musicians (both classical and popular), dancers, comedians, animal acts, magicians, female and male impersonators, to acrobats, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, minstrels, or even short films.

While the initial origins of vaudeville are obscure, historians acknowledge that the opening of Tony Pastor's Fourteenth Street Theatre in New York City on 24 October 1881 marks the beginning of American vaudeville. Pastor had refined the rough variety acts into something wholesome enough for women and children. Other theatre owners quickly picked up on Pastor's new style of vaude and theatres began springing up like weeds and would continue in a quick pace until the 1920s. Vaudeville kept the pace up as well reaching its height around 1915. These heights included an industrialization of the business of vaudeville. Following this climax, vaudeville began to struggle with competition from film and in the following decade, radio. These mediums competed not only for audiences, but talent as well. Towards the end of the 1920s, vaudeville theatres began to be converted to cinemas or closed altogether with entire circuits. After the blow dealt the world by the economic downturn of the Great Depression, vaudeville's pulse quickly weakened. Just as historians mark the date of the "birth" of vaude, the date of its death is marked as well. New York's Palace Theatre on Broadway, was the palace of vaudeville; a place where only the greatest of vaude's performers performed. On 16 November 1932, the last vaudeville bill was played there and the Palace became a full-time movie house. Vaudeville did continue to struggle on, but it never again reached the heights attained in 1915.^[1]

Contents 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E 6 F 7 G 8 H 9 I-J 10 K 11 Notes 12 Sources

[edit] A

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Abbott and Costello			American	Comic duo consisting of William (Bud) Abbott (2 October 1897 - 24 April 1974) and Lou Costello (6 March 1906 - 3 March 1959). Abbott began working in vaude in 1918, producing a "tab show" on the Gus Sun circuit with his wife. Later, he began working as a comic "straight man." Abbott and Costello met around 1929 and possibly performed together in vaude in the very early 1930s. The duo went on to work in radio and film.	[2]
Jean Acker	23 October 1893	16 August 1978	American	Actress known primarily for her work on film and as the first wife of Rudolf Valentino.	[3]
Jean Adair	13 June 1873	11 May 1953	Canadian	Actress of the legitimate stage who appeared in vaudeville in a sketch, Maggie Taylor, Waitress. Adair usually played mothers and elderly aunts onstage following her New York debut in 1922. One of her best known roles was as Aunt Martha in the play, Arsenic and Old Lace.	[4][5]
Milton Ager	6 October 1893	6 May 1979	American	Pianist and songwriter. Ager worked in vaudeville prior to 1910 as an accompanist. He wrote for the stage and Hollywood and composed the song, "Happy Days Are Here Again" with lyrics by Jack Yellen.	[6]
Will Ahern	9 October 1896	16 May 1983	American	Cowboy comedian and entertainer who performed in a comic duo with his wife, Gladys Reese. Ahern told jokes and performed rope tricks while his wife, using a Mexican accent, sang and danced.	[7]
Harry Akst	15 August 1894	31 March 1963	American	Pianist and songwriter, Akst accompanied singers including Al Jolson, Nora Bayes and Frank Fay. Perhaps his most notable song is "Dinah," which has been covered by such artists as Bing Crosby, the Mills Brothers and Fats Waller.	[8]
Jack Albertson	16 June 1907	25 November 1981	American	Actor, comedian, dancer and singer. After vaudeville, Albertson worked in burlesque, on Broadway and in Hollywood, winning a Tony Award, an Emmy Award and an Academy Award.	[9]
Robert Alda	26 February 1914	3 May 1986	American	Actor, singer and dancer whose vaudeville career began in earnest after winning a talent contest. After working in vaudeville and burlesque, Alda appeared on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. He later appeared in film, as well. He is the father of TV and film actor Alan Alda.	[10][11]
Russell Alexander	26 February 1877	2 October 1915	American	Euphonium virtuoso and musician who performed in a novelty musical act with his brothers, Newton and Woodruff. It was Newton who first formed the act, called "The Exposition Four," which consisted of Newton, Woodruff, James Brady and Willie Patten. Russell replaced Patten later. The group performed a comedy act with some blackface but also performed virtuosic feats on their instruments. Russell would become one of the greatest of circus music composers.	[12]
Hadji Ali	1892	5 November 1937	Egyptian	Regurgitator, billed as "The Egyptian Enigma," who performed an act where he swallowed kerosene followed by water. After regurgitating the kerosene and setting it ablaze, he would put out the flames with the regurgitated water. He also swallowed and regurgitated nuts and live goldfish.	[13]
Maud Allan	27 August 1873	7 October 1956	Canadian	A dancer, Allan created the famous "Salome Dance," a dance of her own creation. After performing it firsat at London's Palace Theatre, in March of 1908, she appeared at New York's Palace Theatre 20 January 1910. She toured in American vaude from 1916-7 and 1919-20.	[14][15][16]
Fred Allen	31 May 1894	17 March 1956	American	Juggler and comedian who also performed in a comic duo with his wife, Portland Hoffa (25 January 1905 - 25 December 1990). His original act featured Allen as a ventriloquist, the comedy coming from his lack of talent (at one point the dummy would fall apart). Later his act featured Allen as a clumsy juggler and once his wife joined, she would act as the "straight man" to his bad juggling routine. Later, the couple would gain prominence on the radio.	[17]
Lester Allen	17 November 1891	6 November 1949	American	Comedian who appeared in a double act with Nellie Breen. He also emceed at the Palace.	[18]
Louis Alter	18 June 1902	5 November 1980	American	Pianist and songwriter who accompanied Nora Bayes for a number of years and wrote songs for Irène Bordoni, Beatrice Lillie and Helen Morgan. Among his most popular songs are "Manhattan Serenade" and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans."	[19][20]
Nick Altrock	15 September 1876	20 January 1965	American	Former basbeball player who appeared in a comedy routine with Al Schacht, The Clown Prince of Baseball.	[21]
Kirk Alyn	31 May 1908	6 December 1993	American	Singer and dancer. Later notable as the first actor to play Superman on film.	[22]
Don Ameche	31 May 1906	14 March 1999	American	Comedian with Texas Guinan's troupe. After vaude, Ameche worked in film, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985 for his work on the film, Cocoon.	[23][24]
Morey Amsterdam	14 December 1908	27 October 1996	American	Amsterdam debuted in vaude as a cellist with his brother, a pianist. Within a short while, the act had become a comedy routine; Amsterdam's cello becoming a mere prop. After working in a nightclub owned by Al Capone, Amsterdam worked in radio, where he had his own variety show, The Morey Amsterdam Show, and in television where he was cast as one of Dick Van Dyke's co-workers on The Dick Van Dyke Show.	[25]
"Broncho Billy" Anderson	21 March 1880	20 January 1971	American	Actor who, following vaude, became the first star of the Western film genre. In addition, with George K. Spoor, he founded Essanay Studios ("S" for Spoor and "A" for Anderson) in Chicago.	[26]
Eddie Anderson	18 September 1905	28 February 1977	American	Born into a vaudevillian family, Anderson began performing in a song and dance act with his brother, Cornelius and another young man, at the age of 14. The act was billed as the "Three Black Aces." Following vaude, Anderson appeared with fellow vaudevillian, Jack Benny, as "Rochester" on The Jack Benny Show on radio and later TV.	[27]
Andrews Sisters			American	Trio of sisters, LaVerne (6 July 1911 - 8 May 1967), Maxine (3 January 1916 - 21 October 1995) and Patty (16 February 1918) who sang in close harmony. The trio started touring vaudeville in the early 1930s with the Larry Rich band.	[28]
Margaret Anglin	3 April 1876	7 January 1958	Canadian	Actress from the legitimate stage who appeared in a sketch of the play The Wager, The Playhouse Theatre, New York, December 1917. Anglin was one of the most noted actresses on the American stage in her time, having gained the admiration of Sarah Bernhardt, the greatest actress of the age.	[4][29]
A. E. Anson	14 September 1879	25 June 1936	British	Shakespearian actor who appeared in a vaudeville sketch entitled 1690 which he wrote himself.	[30]
Capt. Adrian C. "Cap" Anson	17 April 1852	14 April 1922	American	Former baseball player who appeared in a sketch in 1913 with a monologue and short dance. He reappeared with his daughters in 1921.	[31]
Dave Apollon	1898	30 May 1972	Russian-American	Mandolinist. Apollon arrived in the US from Russia in 1921. Finding success in vaude, Apollon appeared as an emcee at the Palace and also appeared with his Filipino Orchestra on the last two-a-day program there, 7 May 1932. He also appeared in the final vaudeville presentation at the Loew's State Theatre, New York City, 23 December 1947.	[32]
Macklyn Arbuckle	9 July 1866	31 March 1931	American	Character actor who toured vaude in the sketch, The Welcher in 1910. Arbuckle made his stage debut in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1888 and his New York debut in 1900. He found success playing "homespun" type characters and eventually he moved into film, creating the San Antonio Pictures Corporation.	[33][34][35]
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle	24 March 1887	29 June 1933	American	Arbuckle was a portly comic actor who mentored under vaudeville veteran, Leon Errol. After leaving the stage, Arbuckle became a well-known comedian in silent films, eventually partnering with Buster Keaton. His career was destroyed by accusations that he murdered a young actress. Following two trials ending in hung juries and a final trial that acquitted him, Arbuckle's career was ruined.	[36]
Harold Arlen	15 February 1905	23 April 1986	American	Pianist, musician and composer. Among his more well-known songs are "Stormy Weather," "Get Happy" and songs for the movie-musical, The Wizard of Oz.	[37]
Armida	29 May 1911	23 October 1989	American	Mexican-American singer and actress discovered while performing with her sister, Dolores, in Los Angeles. After becoming a part of Gus Edwards' vaudeville troupe, she made a number of films, including 1930's On the Border with John Barrymore and Rin-Tin-Tin.	[38]
Julia Arthur	3 May 1868	28 March 1950	Canadian	Actress from the legitimate stage who appeared at the Palace in May 1917 in a sketch called Liberty Aflame . As well as working onstage, Arthur made 10 silent films from 1908-1919.	[39][40]
Adele and Fred Astaire			American	Ballroom dance duo with Fred Astaire (10 May 1899 - 22 June 1987) and his sister, Adele (10 September 1896 - 25 January 1981). The duo first appeared in vaudeville in 1912, but as Fred was underage, the duo did not return until 1916, when they toured many vaudeville circuits.	[41][42]
Roscoe Ates	20 January 1896	1 March 1962	American	Comedian known for his portrayals of comic, stuttering characters. Ates later appeared in films.	[32]
Cholly Atkins	13 September 1913	19 April 2003	American	Tap dancer in a noted dance act with Charles "Honi" Coles. Later Atkins became a choreographer for Motown.	[43]
Lionel Atwill	1 March 1885	22 April 1946	British	An actor, Atwill toured with Lillie Langtry as her leading man in the play, Ashes during 1915. Following his stage career, Atwill worked in Hollywood, appearing in many horror films during the 30s and 40s. His career was cut short by a scandal involving an orgy at his home where a young woman was raped.	[44][45]
Gene Austin	24 June 1900	24 January 1972	American	Singer and songwriter who first appeared in vaudeville in the early 1920s. He performed as one of the first "crooners." Austin appeared on radio in 1923 and began recording as "The Voice of the Southland."	[46]
Lovie Austin	19 September 1887	10 July 1972	American	Jazz pianist who toured extensively in vaude, often with her own band, the "Blues Serenaders."	[47][48]

[edit] B

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Lloyd Bacon	4 December 1889	15 November 1955	American	Broadway actor who, following a season in vaudeville went to Hollywood where he became a director with Warner Bros. after appearing as an actor in nearly 40 films.	[49]
Pearl Bailey	29 March 1918	17 August 1990	American	Singer and actress who followed vaudeville with a career onstage, on film and on TV. She garnered a Tony Award for her role on Broadway in Hello, Dolly!.	[50]
Belle Baker	25 December 1893	29 April 1957	American	Baker first ventured onstage with the encouragement of actor, Jacob Adler and later, producer, Lew Leslie. Her debut in vaudeville was in Scranton, Pennsylvania at the age of 15 and she debuted in "big-time" vaude at Hammerstein's Theatre in New York in 1911. As a singer and actress, she established her name in vaude as "The Ragtime Singer." Baker is one of the Palace headliners who performed there numerous times. Her Palace debut was in 1913, when she sang the song, "Cohen Owes Me Ninety-Seven Dollars." Following vaudeville she appeared on Broadway and on the radio.	[51][52]
Josephine Baker	3 June 1906	12 April 1975	American	Baker debuted as a chorus girl in vaudeville and in the revues Shufflin' Along, The Chocolate Dandies, and Runnin' Wild. Following that she left the US to become a renowned dancer and singer in the cabarets and nightclubs of Paris.	[53]
Phil Baker	324 August 1896	1 December 1963	American	Pianist, accordionist and comedian who began in a double act with Ben Bernie on violin. Originally a serious musical act, over time it developed comic elements. Following their split, both comedians became successful in their own right. Baker headlined at the Palace in 1930 and 1931. He later enjoyed a career on Broadway in musicals and later radio.	[54][55]
Nikita Balieff	c. 1877	3 September 1936	Armenian	Singer, dancer, actor, monologist and impresario of the Chauve-Souris comedy troupe.	[56]
Ernest Ball	21 July 1878	3 May 1927	American	Accompanist, singer and songwriter known for writing sentimental ballads, usually with Irish themes such as "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Ball appeared at the Palace in 1923 and 1926 and died the next year in his dressing room at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana, California while on tour with his singing group, "Ernie Ball and His Gang."	[57]
Barbette	9 December 1904	5 August 1975	American	After seeing an aerialist in a circus, Vander Clyde or Van der Clyde (his real name) desired to become one. He responded to an ad in Billboard for the Alfaretta Sisters, an aerial act, who were looking for a replacement member. He began dressing as a female on their encouragement and continued to do so after leaving the act. In 1923, he traveled to Britain and then Paris, where he became the talk of the town. He toured Europe and returned to the US to continue in vaudeville. Following his stage career, Barbette continued to work with performers for various circuses.	[58] [59][60]
Ben Bard	26 January 1893	17 May 1974	American	Comedian, in a duo with Jack Pearl.	[55]
Wilkie Bard	19 March 1870	5 March 1944	British	Comedian and singer.	[61][62]
Reginald Barlow	17 June 1866	6 July 1943	American	Actor and minstrel. Appeared at the age of 9 with the minstrel troupe of Barlow, Wilson, Primrose and West. Later he became a film actor.	[63]
The Barrison Sisters			Swedish	Five sisters who performed risqué songs and dances. The sisters were Lona, Sophia, Inger, Olga and Gertrude Barrison.	[64]
Ethel Barrymore	15 August 1879	18 June 1959	American	Actress who appeared in "tab" versions of her hits in the legitimate theatre as well as one-act plays. Barrymore's debut in vaude was in the one-act play, Civilization by Richard Harding Davis at the Palace Theatre the week of 28 April 1913. In 1914, Barrymore toured in Drifted Apart and later toured the Oprheum circuit in J. M. Barrie's The Twelve Pound Look with a salary of $3000 a week. The Twelve Pound Look played the Palace, June 1921 and in September and December of 1926.	[65][61][66]
John Barrymore	14 February 1882	29 May 1942	American	Actor, Appeared in a sketch called, His Wedding Morn', caused a sensation on Broadway in Justice and later for his portrayals of Hamlet and Richard III.	[67][61]
Lionel Barrymore	28 April 1878	15 November 1954	American	Actor from the legitimate stage who appeared in a sketch of Bartley Campbell's play, The White Slave, with Doris Rankin. He also toured in The Still Voice in 1914.	[67][61][68]
Maurice Barrymore	21 September 1849	26 March 1905	British	Actor on the "legitimate stage," Barrymore made his vaudeville debut in a one-act version of Augustus Thomas' play, A Man of the World, and headlined many other sketches.	[67][61]
Charles Barton	1902	1981	American	Actor.	[69]
Eileen Barton	24 November 1929	27 June 2006	American	Sang "Ain't Misbehavin'" in her parents vaude act at the age of 2 in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 3 1/2, Barton appeared at the Palace as part of Ted Healy's routine. Barton later became a noted popular music singer.	[70]
James Barton	1 November 1890	19 February 1962	American	Comic dancer who made his stage debut at the age of 2. Barton appeared in vaudeville at the age of 4, working steadily in stock and repertory theatre as well. His New York stage debut was in The Passing Show of 1919 and from there on he appeared in many musicals during the 20s, appearing in vaude between roles.	[71][72]
Billy Barty	25 October 1924	23 December 2000	American	Diminutive, juvenile actor, Barty originally appeared in film. He appeared in vaude with his sisters in an act called "Billy Barty and His Sisters," where he played the drums and did impressions. Later, Barty founded two service organizations for people with dwarfism.	[73]
Count Basie	21 August 1904	26 April 1984	American	Pianist, bandleader and composer. Before the age of 20, Basie was touring on the Keith circuit and later, the Columbia Burlesque and T. O. B. A. circuits as a pianist, accompanist and musical director for singers, dancers and comedians.	[74][75][76]
Blanche Bates	25 August 1873	25 December 1941	American	Actress of the legitimate stage who appeared at the Palace in December 1918 in The World Mother. Additionally, she would play vaude houses in between engagements. Bates debuted in 1897 with Augustin Daly's company later working with David Belasco.	[77][78]
Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates	11 October 1907	6 December 1998	American	Rhythm tap dancer with only one leg.	[79]
Warner Baxter	29 March 1889	7 May 1951	American	Actor. Later won the 1929 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as the Cisco Kid in the film In Old Arizona.	[80]
Nora Bayes	1880	19 June 1928	American	Singer and comedienne who toured with her husband, Jack Norworth from 1908-13. She introduced such standards as 'Shine On Harvest Moon' and Cohan's 'Over There.'	[65][81]
Beverly Bayne	11 November 1894	18 August 1982	American	Actress with her husband, Francis X. Bushman. Bayne and Bushman, following successful careers in silent films, appeared at the Palace in a comedy sketch, Poor Rich Man. The couple toured vaudeville throughout the 1920s. Unable to revive her film career in the late 1920s, following her divorce from Bushman, Bayne worked the rest of her life onstage.	[82][83]
George Beauchamp	1899	1941	American	Violin and steel lap guitar player. Beauchamp developed the first commercially available electric guitar.	[84]
George Beban	1873	5 October 1928	American	Known for his Italian characters. Beban began playing French characters but once he began working in film, he played Italian characters. His initial act involved recitation of a poem called, "Mia Rosa." Beban created a one-act play from the poem, The Sign of the Rose, in which he toured vaude for seven years. A full-length version, also by Beban, premiered at the Garrick Theatre in New York in 1911. Beban signed with silent film director and producer, Thomas Ince, after his work in vaudeville and appeared in a number of films including a version of The Sign of the Rose called The Alien.	[85]
Martin Beck	1867	16 November 1940	Austrian-American	Actor and later one of the top vaudeville theatre owners.	[87]
Digby Bell	8 November 1849	20 June 1917	American	Comic actor, Bell began his stagework as a singer, but eventually made his mark as a comedian. Bell was the leading comic in Lillian Russell's company and spent much of his later life in plays and vaudeville.	[88]
Robert Benchley	15 September 1889	21 November 1945	American	Actor and monologist.	[89]
Chief Bender	3 May 1883	22 May 1954	American	Former basbeball player who did an act with Kathryn Pearl called Learning the Game by George Totten Smith with music by Arthur Behim.	[21]
Bennie Benjamin	4 November 1907	2 May 1989	American	Guitarist and banjo player with a number of bands, Benjamin would become a major songwriter following his work in vaude.	[90]
Belle Bennett	22 April 1891	4 November 1932	American	Trapeze artist and later silent film actress, Bennett, following a career in vaudeville, entered film in 1916 and worked through the end of the age of silent films.	[91]
Richard Bennett	1870	1944	American	Actor who appeared in a sketch from the play The Common Man.	[4]
Jack Benny	14 February 1894	26 December 1974	American	Comedian and actor, known for his comedic violin playing (a leftover from his stage routine) and for constantly presenting the idea that he is 39 years young. His radio and TV programs featured his wife Mary, comedian Don Wilson as announcer, and character actor Eddie Anderson as Benny's valet Rochester.	[92]
Edgar Bergen	16 February 1903	30 September 1978	American	Ventrilogquist with his dummy, Charlie McCarthy.	[93]
Sammy Berk	c. 1894	1983	American	Novelty dancer.	[94]
Milton Berle	12 July 1908	27 March 2002	American	Comedian and actor, later known as "Mr. Television" for pulling in record numbers in TV's early days for his "Texaco Star Theater".	[95]
Irving Berlin	11 May 1888	22 September 1989	American	Musician and songwriter. Known for such songs as "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "White Christmas", "Easter Parade", "There's No Business Like Show Business", and "God Bless America."	[96]
Sam Bernard	5 June 1863	16 May 1927	British	Actor, "Dutch" comedian and monologist known for his German characterizations. In 1885, Bernard toured the British music hall circuit later appearing at the Palace in January, 1914 and March, 1926.	[97]
Sarah Bernhardt	23 October 1844	26 March 1923	French	Actress, known as "The Divine Sarah" and "The First Lady of the Theater"	[98]
Ben Bernie	30 May 1891	20 October 1943	American	Violinist and comedian. Had an act with Phil Baker.	[99]
Joe Besser	12 August 1907	1 March 1988	American	Besser first began in show business as a song plugger and magician's assistant. He worked his way up to being a comedian and headlined with acts such as Olsen and Johnson. After appearing on radio, Besser appeared on film and was a member of the Three Stooges for two years.	[100]
Amelia Bingham	20 March 1869	1 September 1927	American	Actress of the "legit" stage, Bingham appeared in vaudeville at the Palace in July 1909 in Big Moments from Great Plays, which included excerpts from six plays. Bingham was discovered by a traveling actor while she was waiting tables in her father's hotel while on break from Ohio Wesleyan University. Following her Broadway debut in 1893, Bingham was noted for her sparkling performances in comedies and melodramas. In addition to her performances, Bingham also managed the Bijou Theatre in New York beginning in 1900 and organized her own stock company.	[101][4][102]
Billie Bird	28 February 1908	27 November 2002	American	Actress and comedienne who was discovered in an orphanage. Bird toured with the group for some time before creating an act with another girl called, "The King Sisters" which toured the Keith-Orpheum circuit. After vaude began to fade, Bird toured in musicals and comedies and on the nightclub circuit. She also worked in film and on television.	[103]
Harry Blackstone, Sr.	27 September 1885	16 November 1965	American	Magician.	[104]
J. Stuart Blackton	5 January 1875	13 August 1941	British-American	Stage cartoonist billed as Komikal Kartoonist in an act with his friends Albert E. Smith the Komikal Konjuror and Ronald A. Reader who operated a magic lantern.	[105]
Block and Sully			American	Husband and wife comic duo composed of Jesse Block (16 December 1900 - 22 March 1983) and Eva Sully (1902 - 7 August 1990).	[106]
Joan Blondell	30 August 1909	25 December 1979	American	Actress. She joined her parents' act at 3, leaving the act in 1926 for Broadway and later Hollywood.	[107][108]
Lew Bloom	8 August 1859		American	Comic monologist and "society tramp."	[109][110]
Ben Blue	12 September 1901	7 March 1975	Canadian	Comedian and dancer.	[109]
Ray Bolger	10 January 1904	15 January 1987	American	Dancer and actor known for his "loose-limbed, comic" dancing style. Appeared on Broadway in On Your Toes and By Jupiter. Best known film role is the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.	[111][112]
Bessie Bonehill	1844	21 August 1902	British	Male impersonator, Bonehill first appeared on the American vaudeville in 1891. She worked heavily in the British music hall as well as playing the principle boy in British pantomimes.	[113]
Irène Bordoni	16 January 1895	19 March 1953	French	Chanteuse and musical theatre star. Bordoni's first appeared in the chorus at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris at the age of 13. She traveled to the US and began appearing on the vaude and the Broadway stages in 1912. The following year she toured the Orpheum circuit with Melville Ellis in tow as both accompanist and costume designer. From 1915-28, Bordoni appeared in a number of Broadway musicals but in vaudeville in her spare time. She appeared at the Palace in May and November 1927 and September 1930. After her retirement, she made occasional appearances on Broadway before dying while on tour in the musical, South Pacific.	[114]
Boswell Sisters			American	Trio of singing sisters composed of Meldania "Martha" Boswell (1905 - 1958), Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (3 December 1907 - 11 October 1976), and Helvetia George "Vet" Boswell (20 May 1911 - 1988).	[115]
Hobart Bosworth	11 August 1867	30 December 1943	American	Actor appearing in a sketch from the play Sea Wolf. Bosworth was already an accomplished stage actor having worked with the companies of McKee Rankin and Augustin Daly as well as with some of the leading ladies of the day. After contracting tuberculosis, Bosworth traveled west and became a leading man at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, where he also founded the Hobart Bosworth Institute of Dramatic Arts. He entered silent films in 1909 and created Bosworth Incorporated in order to create feature films based on the works of Jack London. In 1917, Bosworth and Ethel Grey Terry, toured in a sketch of London's Sea Wolf.	[4][116]
Ray Bourbon	1893	19 July 1971	American	Female impersonator.	[115]
Eddie Bracken	7 February 1915	14 November 2002	American	Actor and comedian, started in films as a child and later appeared as comic foil in numerous feature films.	[117]
Hugh Bradley	23 May 1885	26 January 1949	American	Baseball player who appeared with the Boston Red Sox Quartette in 1912. The quartet included Buck O'Brien, Marty Hale and Bill Lyons.	[118]
El Brendel	25 March 1890	9 April 1964	American	Comedian.	[119]
Jay Brennan	6 December 1882	14 January 1961	American	Comedian. Played the "straight man" to Bert Savoy.	[50][120]
Walter Brennan	25 July 1894	21 September 1974	American	Actor.	[121]
Herbert Brenon	13 January 1880	22 June 1958	American	Had a comic duo with his wife, Helen Oberg. Later he was a Hollywood screenwriter.	[122]
Fanny Brice	29 October 1891	29 May 1951	American	Comedienne and singer known for comedic songs, except for "My Man", and her portrayal of bratty Baby Snooks. The Ziegfeld Follies regular was famously portrayed by Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl and Funny Lady.	[123]
James Brockman	8 December 1886	22 May 1967	American	After beginning as a comedian in vaudeville, Brockman worked in musicals before settling in Hollywood as a songwriter.	[124]
Helen Broderick	11 August 1891	25 September 1959	American	Singer-comedienne who made her stage debut in the chorus of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1907. After becoming a comedienne, she developed a caustic, wisecracking style and appeared in both musical comedies and vaudeville. Later Broderick worked in Hollywood.	[125][126]
Harry Brooks	20 September 1895	22 June 1970	American	Pianist and songwriter.	[127]
Shelton Brooks	4 May 1886	6 September 1975	American	Singer, pianist and songwriter. Many of Brooks' songs were composed for vaudeville singer, Sophie Tucker and among them, the song, "Some of These Days," which became one of Tucker's most well known songs. Her 1911 recording of this song was selected in 2004 to be added to the National Recording Registry, ensuring its preservation in the Library of Congress.	[128][129]
Heywood Broun	7 December 1888	18 December 1939	American	Drama critic who worked as a monologuist in vaude and appearing at the Palace. Broun began working for the New York Tribune in 1912 and went to serve as the drama critic for the New York World from 1921-8 and also as the drama editor for Vanity Fair.	[130][131]
Joe E. Brown	28 July 1892	6 July 1973	American	Comedian with the Bell Prevost Trio, Brown was often billed as "The Corkscrew Kid." Brown made his screen debut in 1928 and quickly became one of the leading comedians in Hollywood and later on television, thanks in part to his mouth and yells. Among his best known film roles is the millionaire, Osgood Fielding, in the 1959 film, Some Like it Hot.	[132][17]
Nacio Herb Brown	22 February 1896	28 September 1964	American	Pianist and songwriter. Brown was accompanist to performer, Alice Doll, and toured with her on the Orpheum Circuit. Certainly one of his most well known songs is "Singin' in the Rain," which he wrote with lyricist, Arthur Freed.	[133][134]
Tom Brown	3 June 1888	25 March 1958	American	Trombonist and leader of Tom Brown's Band from Dixieland. Also put together the vaudeville band, the "Five Rubes" which disbanded shortly thereafter.	[135][136][137]
Bothwell Browne	7 March 1877	12 December 1947	Danish	Female impersonator.	[138]
Frank Browning	1882	1948	American	Former basbeball player who was in a quartet with 3 other basbeball players around 1925. The three other singers were George Crable, Tom Dillon and Kid Gleason.	[31]
Peaches Browning	23 June 1910	23 August 1956	American	Actress, known best for her marriage at the age of 16 to Edward Browning, a 51-year old real estate mogul. Shortly after their marriage, Peaches filed for divorce and her fame lead her to appear in vaudeville.	[139]
Tod Browning	12 July 1880	6 October 1962	American	Actor. Later a Hollywood director who directed Dracula (1931 film) and Freaks.	[140]
Brox Sisters			American	Trio of singing sisters consisting of Dagmar Brock, born Josephine and later called Bobbe (1900 - 2 May 1999), Kathleen, later known as Patricia (14 June 1903 - 1988), and Eunice, later called Lorayne (d. 1993).	[141][142][143]
Buck and Bubbles			American	Dance duo with Ford Lee "Buck" Washington (16 October 1903 - 31 January 1955) and John W. "Bubbles" Sublett (19 February 1902 - 18 May 1986).	[144]
John Bunny	21 September 1863	26 April 1915	American	Actor, comedians, and minstrel. Later a film star.	[145]
Neil Burgess	1846	1910	American	Female impersonator, mostly playing elderly widows.	[146]
Smiley Burnette	18 March 1911	16 February 1967	American	Singer. Later worked with Gene Autry and performed onscreen in Westerns.	[147]
Burns and Allen			American	Comic duo consisting of George Burns (20 January 1896 - 9 March 1996) and his wife, Gracie Allen (26 July 1895 - 27 August 1964). Their radio and television shows proved their enduring popularity, thanks in part to Gracie's scatterbrained publicity stunts.	[65][148]
Pesach Burstein	1896	1986	Polish-American	Actor, comedian and singer mostly in Yiddish vaudeville with his family. Burstein, his kids and his wife, Lillian Lux are profiled in the 2002 documentary, The Komediant.	[149]
Mae Busch	18 June 1891	19 April 1946	Australian	Actress and comedian who found success in American vaudeville and later appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy films.	[150]
Francis X. Bushman	10 January 1883	23 August 1966	American	Actor who toured with his wife, actress Beverly Bayne. Following his initial silent film career in Hollywood, where he had become a matinee idol, Bushman and Bayne appeared at the Palace in the comedy sketch, Poor Rich Man in 1921 and toured various circuits throughout the 1920s. Bushman returned to Hollywood and continued work in film.	[82][83]
Butterbeans and Susie			American	Comic duo composed of Jodie Edwards (1895 - 1967) and his wife, Susie Hawthorne (1896 - 1963). Their act was composed of duets and comedy routines about marital troubles. The duo was active on the TOBA circuit.	[151]

[edit] C

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
James Cagney	17 July 1899	30 March 1986	American	Actor, before winning an Academy Award, Cagney dressed in drag for a comedy act with four other actors. After several other bit parts on the stage, Cagney was spotted by Al Jolson while appearing in the musical Penny Arcade and was soon signed to a Warner Bros. contract.	[152][153]
Marie Cahill	7 February 1870	23 August 1933	American	Singer and actress.	[152][154]
Cab Calloway	25 December 1907	18 November 1994	American	Musician and bandleader. Calloway headlined at the Palace in June, 1931 and at the Loew's State Theatre in 1932. Most famous song is "Minnie the Moocher".	[156]
Emma Calvé	15 August 1858	6 January 1942	French	Operatic soprano.	[157]
Mrs. Patrick Campbell	9 February 1865	9 April 1940	British	Actress from the legitimate stage who appeared in vaude in Expiation (a Russian tragedy).	[158][159][160]
Judy Canova	20 November 1913	5 August 1983	American	Comedienne and singer. Performed with her brother and sister in an act called the "Three Georgia Crackers" and later in an act called "Annie, Judy & Zeke."	[161]
Eddie Cantor	31 January 1892	10 October 1964	American	Singer and comedian who often appeared in blackface. Appeared in various editions of the Ziegfeld Follies and Broadway musicals such as Kid Boots and Whoopee!.	[162]
Cardini	1894	11 November 1975	Welsh	Slight-of-hand magician	[163]
Mutt Carey	1891	3 September 1948	American	Jazz trumpeter who toured the vaudeville circuits in 1917.	[164]
Leo Carillo	6 August 1881	10 September 1961	American	Character actor.	[165]
Richard Carle	7 July 1871	28 June 1941	American	Comic actor who appeared in vaude in 1914 in A Slice of Life where he played Mr. Hyphen-Brown and in April 1915 in If We Said What We Thought. Carle debuted on the New York stage in 1891 and performed primarily in musicals until 1913 when he left the stage for vaudeville.	[166][167]
Alan Carney	22 December 1909	2 May 1973	American	Comic dialectician. Later worked on Broadway and in films of the 1940s where he was partnered with comic Wally Brown.	[168]
Georges Carpentier	12 January 1894	28 October 1975	French	Former boxer and song and dance man.	[169]
Harry Carroll	28 November 1892	26 December 1962	American	Songwriter, pianist and singer.	[170]
Mrs. Leslie Carter	10 June 1862	13 November 1937	American	Actress of the legitimate stage who toured vaude in the role of Zaza, one of her most famous roles from the play by David Belasco.	[171]
Emma Carus	18 March 1879	18 November 1927	German	Singing comedienne who first appeared in vaudeville at Proctor's 23rd Street Theatre in New York in 1894. From 1915 onwards, she performed mostly in vaudeville.	[172][173]
Diana Serra Cary	26 October 1918		American	Juvenile actress billed as Baby Peggy. Following her film career, Baby Peggy worked in vaude, making $1500 a week, but with the death of vaudeville, Baby Peggy's career was over as well.	[174]
Charlie Case	1858	1916	American	Blackface singer and pioneering monologist.	[158][175]
Vernon and Irene Castle			American (Irene) and British (Vernon)	Ballroom dance team consisting of Vernon (2 May 1887 - 15 February 1918) and his wife, Irene (17 April 1893 - 25 January 1969). Introduced such dances as the foxtrot and tango to U.S. audiences.	[152]
Walter Catlett	4 February 1889	14 November 1960	American	Comedian who worked in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage before working in film.	[176]
Joseph Cawthorn	29 March 1868	17 April 1959	American	Minstrel and comedian, Joseph Cawthorn, made his stage debut at the age of 4 at Robinson's Music Hall in New York City. Later, he joined Haverly's Minstrels in 1872 and worked in vaudeville as a Dutch dialect comedian. He continued working in musical comedies and in 1926, made his screen debut.	[177][178][179]
Lon Chaney, Sr.	1 April 1883	26 August 1930	American	Actor, "the Man of a Thousand Faces" later scared moviegoers after years in vaudeville houses in films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Phantom of the Opera.
Charlie Chaplin	16 April 1889	25 December 1977	British-American	Actor and comedian, toured the US with the Fred Karno troupe in 1910 and 1912-1913 before being signed by Mack Sennett the following year.|[180]
Chaz Chase	1902	4 August 1983	American	Comedian whose act was to seemingly eat all manner of inedible objects, such as matches and paper (in reality he would turn upstage and spit them into his oversized top hat).	[181]
Dave Chasen	18 July 1898	16 June 1973	Russian-American	Comedian who worked with Joe Cook.	[181]
Doc Cheatham	13 June 1905	2 June 1997	American	Trumpeter, singer and bandleader who toured TOBA working in bands accompanying blues singers.	[182]
Cherry Sisters			American	An act consisting of five sisters, Addie, Effie, Ella, Elizabeth and Jessie Cherry who sang, danced and acted. It was known as the worst act in vaudeville and audiences often attended to hurl produce and catcalls at them.	[183][184]
Albert Chevalier	21 March 1861	10 July 1923	British	British music hall actor and comedian.	[158]
Frank Christian	3 September 1887	27 November 1973	American	Trumpeter.
Ching Ling Foo	1854	1922	Chinese	Magician.	[185]
Chung Ling Soo	2 April 1861	24 March 1918	American	Magician.	[186]
Paul Cinquevalli	1859	1918	German	Juggler.	[187]
Ina Claire	15 October 1893	21 February 1985	American	A singing-comedienne, Ina Claire, is considered the finest singing-comedienne of her generation. She made her vaudeville debut in 1907 impersonating Harry Lauder. Calire's first appearance on the musical stage in 1911 and appeared at the Palace in 1915. She toured vaude on the Orpheum, Keith and Proctor circuits and appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915 and 1916. She continued on the stage in musical comedies.	[188][189]
Bobby Clark	16 June 1888	12 February 1960	American	Comedian. Member, with Paul McCullough, of the comic team of Clark and McCullough.	[190]
Bessie Clayton	1878	21 July 1948	American	Dancer.	[191]
Stanley Clements	16 July 1926	16 October 1981	American	Actor and comedian.
Laddie Cliff	13 September 1891	8 December 1937	British	Eccentric dancer.	[192]
Kathleen Clifford	16 February 1887	28 December 1962	American	Male impersonator billed as "The Smartest Chap in Town" who appeared in a top hat, tails and a monocle. Clifford's first appearance on the legitimate stage came in 1903 in the musical comedy, The Girl from Kay's. She worked in film from 1917 to 1928 returning to vaude in the 30s.	[193][194]
Herbert Clifton	19 October 1885	26 September 1947	British	Female impersonator and singer.	[195]
Maggie Cline	1 January 1857	11 June 1934	American	Singer.	[196]
E. E. Clive	28 August 1879	6 June 1940	British	Actor.
June Clyde	2 December 1909	1 October 1987	American	Actress, singer and dancer billed as "Baby Tetrazini." Clyde began working in vaudeville at the age of seven progressing to stage musicals and eventually appearing in films in 1929.	[197]
Ty Cobb	18 December 1886	17 July 1961	American	Former basbeball player.	[31]
Imogene Coca	18 November 1908	2 June 2001	American	Comedienne who was born into a showbiz family. Coca's first stagework came at the age of 11 as a dancer and she worked in nightclubs and vaudeville houses before being discovered as a comedienne. In the 50s, Coca began work on television with comedian, Sid Caesar. Her work in TV spanned decades.	[198][199]
Ann Codee	5 March 1890	18 May 1961	Belgian	Comedienne who toured with her husband, Frank Orth. Their act toured the world and could be performed in 5 languages.	[200]
Cole and Johnson			American	Singing and dancing duo consisting of Bob Cole (1 July 1869 - 2 August 1911) and J. Rosamond Johnson (11 August 1873 - 11 November 1954).	[201]
Michael Coleman	1889	1945	Irish	Irish fiddler.
Charles "Honi" Coles	2 April 1911	12 November 1992	American	Tap dancer.	[202]
Lottie Collins	1866	1 May 1910	British	Singer-comedienne. Most well known for popularizing the song, "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay!."	[203]
Pinto Colvig	11 September 1892	3 October 1967	American	Comedian, the voice of Goofy in Disney cartoons and was the first Bozo the Clown.
Chester Conklin	11 January 1886	11 October 1971	American	Comedian and actor. Later worked as one of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kops and appeared in some of Charlie Chaplin's films.	[204]
Conlin and Glass	14 October 1884	7 May 1962	American	Comic duo consisting of Jimmy Conlin (14 October 1884 - 7 May 1962) and his wife, Myrtle Glass.
Jackie Coogan	26 October 1914	1 March 1984	American	Child actor, best known as Charlie Chaplin's sidekick in The Kid and (as an adult) as Uncle Fester on TV's The Addams Family. The infamous Coogan Law is named after him.	[205]
Elisha Cook Jr.	26 December 1902	18 May 1995	American	Actor. Cook first appeared onstage at the age of 14 and worked onstage in stock theatre, vaudeville and Broadway. His first film appearance was in 1929.	[206]
Joe Cook	1890	16 May 1959	American	Born Joseph Lopez, Joe Cook first appeared in vaudeville in a juggling act with his brother, billed as "The Juggling Kids." He made one of his first solo appearances in July of 1907 at Proctor's 125th Street Theatre, New York. He began incorporating comedy, props and monologues into his act and on 2 January 1922, he played the Palace. Following vaudeville, Cook appeared on Broadway and was heard on the radio.	[207][208]
Baldwin Cooke	10 March 1888	31 December 1953	American	Actor who toured vaudeville with his wife, Alice and Stan Laurel.
John W. Cooper	1873	1966	American	Ventriloquist with his dummy, Sam Jackson.	[209]
James "Gentleman Jim" J. Corbett	1 September 1866	18 February 1933	American	Former boxer	[210]
Maurice Costello	22 February 1877	30 October 1950	American	Actor and comedian.	[211]
Willie Covan	1896	7 May 1989	American	Tap dancer.	[212]
Ida Cox	25 February 1896	10 November 1967	American	Blues singer who toured in vaudeville from 1923-9. One of the bandmembers accompanying her was Earl Palmer.	[213]
Joseph E. Coyne	27 March 1867	17 February 1941	American	Comedian.	[214]
Henry Creamer	21 June 1879	14 October 1930	American	Singer and songwriter.
Will Cressy	20 October 1863	7 May 1930	American	Actor and writer.	[212]
Crumit and Sanderson			American	Husband and wife singing duo with Frank Crumit (26 September 1888 - 7 September 1943) and Julia Sanderson (20 August 1887 - 27 January 1975).	[215]
Pauline Curley	19 December 1903	16 December 2000	American	From the age of 7, Curley appeared onstage, including in vaudeville, where she was a singer and dancer. From 1915-28, Curley appeared in silent films.	[216]

[edit] D

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Dan Dailey	4 December 1913	16 October 1978	American	Dancer, singer and actor.	[217]
Peter F. Dailey	1868	1908	American	Comedian, one of the members of the popular act, "The American Four." His debut on the legitimate stage was with the Howard Atheneum Company. Later, he appeared with Webber and Fields.	[218]
Dorothy Dalton	22 September 1893	13 April 1972	American	Actress.
Viola Dana	28 June 1897	3 July 1987	American	Actress. Before she worked in silent films, Dana worked extensively on the legitimate stage. Her first foray into vaudeville was in a playlet called There Goes the Bride which received bad reviews. She tried her hand at vaude again with a sketch by Anita Loos called, The Inkwell, supported by Edward Arnold which did much better.	[219]
The Dancing Cansinos			Spanish	A family Spanish dancing act, The Dancing Cansinos included Eduardo Cansino, Sr. (2 March 1895 - 24 December 1968), his wife, Volga Hayworth (1900 - 5 February 1945), daughter Rita Hayworth (17 October 1918 - 14 May 1987), and son, Eduardo, Jr. (13 October 1919 - 11 March 1974).	[161]
Marion Davies	3 January 1897	23 September 1961	American	Actress and comedienne. Davies appeared as a 'comic' chorine in vaudeville as well as the Ziegfeld Follies of 1916.	[220]
Reine Davies	6 June 1886	5 April 1938	American	Singer and actress.
Benny Davis	21 August 1895	20 December 1979	American	Pianist, singer and songwriter.	[221]
Joan Davis	29 June 1907	22 May 1961	American	Actress and comedienne.	[198]
Sammy Davis, Jr.	8 December 1925	16 May 1990	American	Dancer and singer, performed with his father and uncle as "The Will Maston Trio". As an adult, he became one of the most celebrated entertainers of his time and a member of the infamous Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.	[222]
Sammy Davis, Sr.	12 December 1900	21 May 1988	American	Dancer. Father of Sammy Davis, Jr..	[222]
Hazel Dawn	23 March 1890	28 August 1988	American	Musical comedy actress. Dawn debuted in vaudeville at New York's Alhambra Theatre in 1923 in a sketch called, The Pink Lady. She appeared at the Palace in January 1924 in a playlet called, The Land of Love by Edgar Allen Woolf. Additionally, Dawn appeared in 11 feature films for the Famous Player Film Company between 1914-7.	[223]
Mlle. Dazie	16 September 1884	12 August 1952	American	Toe-dancer. Dazie's first appearance in vaudeville was as "Le Domino Rouge" in an act where she wore a red mask. After she got rid of the mask, she was billed as "Mlle. Dazie" and it was under this name that she appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies. She toured the Keith circuit in a ballet panotmime, L'Amour d'Artiste and headlined the Palace in 1917 in another ballet pantomime directed by Herbert Brenon.	[224]
Vaughn De Leath	26 September 1896	28 May 1943	American	Actress and singer.	[225]
Dizzy Dean	16 January 1910	17 July 1974	American	Former basbeball player.	[21]
Carter DeHaven	5 October 1886	20 July 1977	American	Comedian.	[226]
Dorothy Dell	30 January 1915	28 June 1934	American	Singer and dancer in a duo with Allan Mann.	[227]
William Demarest	27 February 1892	28 December 1983	American	Comedian and later character actor, popular in Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s, best known as "Uncle Charlie" on the TV sitcom My Three Sons.	[228]
Gaby Deslys	4 September 1881	11 February 1920	French	Singer and dancer.	[229]
Elliott Dexter	29 March 1870	21 November 1949	American	Actor. Later worked in silent films.	[230]
William Dillon	6 November 1877	10 February 1966	American	Singer and songwriter.	[231]
Henry E. Dixey	6 January 1859	25 February 1943	American	Actor, dancer and comedian.	[232]
Lew Dockstader	1856	26 October 1924	American	Comedian and minstrel.	[233]
Dolly Sisters			Hungarian-American	Twin sisters, Rosie and Jenny (25 October 1892 - 1 May 1941 Jenny and 1 Janusary 1970 Rosie) who had a dance act.	[234]
Kitty Doner	1895	26 August 1988	American	Male impersonator and dancer. Of the male impersonators in vaude, Doner was the best known American-born male "imp". She was the first male impersonator to play the Palace, in 1919 and she played there again in May of 1926.	[235]
Mike Donlin	30 May 1878	24 September 1943	American	Former major league baseball player who entered vaudeville after marrying a vaude actress, Mabel Hite. Acted in a one-act play, Stealing Home and later worked as a comedian with Tom Lewis.	[236]
Jack Donohue	1892	1 October 1930	American	Dancer, singer and actor. Worked with his wife, Alice Stewart, as Donohue & Stewart.	[237]
Red Dooin	12 July 1879	12 May 1952	American	Baseball player who appeared in vaude first with a singing act and a singing and talking act with Dumon's Minstrels in Philadelphia, 1910.	[118]
Fifi D'Orsay	16 April 1907	2 December 1982	Canadian	Singer and Comedienne.	[238]
Billie Dove	4 May 1901	31 December 1998	American	Ziegfeld girl in the Follies of 1917 and 1918. Later, Dove appeared in films and was a minstress to William Randolph Hearst.	[239]
Eddie Dowling	9 December 1894	18 February 1976	American	Actor and singer.	[240]
Johnny Downs	10 October 1913	6 June 1994	American	Child actor who appeared in the Our Gang series of shorts along with several feature films. Following his film work, he appeared in vaudeville in the early 1930s.	[241]
Thomas Nelson Downs	16 March 1867	September 1938	American	Magician specializing in coin tricks.
Louise Dresser	5 October 1878	24 April 1965	American	Singer and actress.	[242]
Marie Dressler	9 November 1869	28 July 1934	Canadian	Actress and comedienne, who later found greater fame in movies such as Min and Bill and Dinner at Eight.	[243]
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew			American	Husband and wife comic team with Sidney (28 August 1868 - 9 April 1919) and Gladys Rankin Drew (c. 1874 - 9 January 1914).	[244]
Dave Dreyer	22 September 1894	1967	American	Pianist and songwriter.
Duffy and Sweeney			American	Knockabout comedy act consisting of James Terence Duffy (1889 - 30 March 1939]] and Frederick Chase Sweeney (1894 - 10 December 1954.	[245]
Margaret Dumont	20 October 1882	6 March 1965	American	Actress and singer, best known as the comic foil for the Marx Brothers, performed under the name "Daisy Dumont" before entering motion pictures.
Duncan Sisters			American	Singing sister act composed of Vivian (17 June 1899 - 19 September 1986) and Rosetta Duncan (23 November 1896 - 4 December 1959).	[246]
James Dunn	2 November 1905	3 September 1967	American	Actor.
Jack Durant	12 April 1905	7 January 1984	American	Acrobat and comedian.	[247]
Jimmy Durante	10 February 1893	29 January 1980	American	Comedian and actor, known for his huge nose.	[248]
Walter Dyett	11 January 1901	17 November 1969	American	Violinist and conductor of vaudeville pit orchestras. Following his work in vaudeville, Dyett became a noted music educator working at Chicago's DuSable High School. As a music teacher and director of school ensembles, Dyett influenced many up-and-coming jazz, blues and rock musicians.[249]
Jacqueline Dyris			Belgian	Dancer.

[edit] E

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Charles Eaton	22 June 1910	15 August 2004	American	Actor.
Mary Eaton	29 January 1901	10 October 1948	American	Singer, dancer, actress and Ziegfeld girl.
Pearl Eaton	1 August 1898	10 September 1958	American	Singer, dancer, actress and Ziegfeld girl.
Buddy and Vilma Ebsen	2 April 1908	6 July 2003	American	Husband and wife dance duo. Buddy later became known to millions of TV viewers in the 1960s and 1970's as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.	[250]
Gertrude Ederle	23 October 1905	30 November 2003	American	Competitive swimmer and first woman to swim across the English Channel.	[251]
Cliff Edwards a.k.a. Ukelele Ike	14 June 1895	17 July 1971	American	Singer, ukulele player and musician. Later voiced Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio.	[252]
Gus Edwards	18 August 1879	7 November 1945	German-American	Singer, songwriter and producer. Known for such songs as "School Days" and "In My Merry Oldsmobile."	[253]
Kate Elinore	?	30 December 1924	American	Singing comedienne.	[254]
Duke Ellington	29 April 1899	24 May 1974	American	Musician and bandleader who toured the RKO circuit beginning in 1927, headlining at the Palace in 1930. Ellington is considered by many to be one of the founders of modern jazz music.	[255][254]
Julian Eltinge	14 May 1881	7 March 1941	American	Female impersonator and actor.	[256]
June Elvidge	30 June 1893	1 May 1965	American	Actress.
Hope Emerson	29 October 1897	25 April 1960	American	Comedian known for her large build (6'2", 230 lbs.) who appeared in vaude and on Broadway in the 20s and 30s. Emerson began working in films in the early 1930s.	[257]
Knute Erickson	27 May 1872	31 December 1945	American	Swedish comedian.	[258]
Bert Erroll	11 August 1883	28 November 1949	British	Female impersonator.	[259]
Leon Errol	3 July 1881	12 October 1951	Australian	Comedian.	[260]
Ruth Etting	23 November 1896	24 September 1978	American	Singer and actress	[261]
James Reese Europe	22 February 1881	9 May 1919	American	Bandleader of the ragtime "Society Orchestra" which accompanied Vernon and Irene Castle in their ballroom dance act. After serving in World War I and becoming the director of the 369th Infantry Band, Europe (now Lieutenant Europe) toured France and American vaudeville with the band. During this US tour, he began incorporating jazz elements into the ragtime music the band played. It was during this same tour that he was stabbed in the neck by one of his band members.	[262][263]
George "Honey Boy" Evans	10 March 1870	12 March 1915	American	Minstrel.	[264]
Lizzie Evans	1864		American	Actress and comedienne, who made her debut in 1881 at the Standard Theatre with an impersonation of Clip. She owned her own traveling company.

[edit] F

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Nanette Fabray	27 October 1922		American	Singer and actress.	[265]
Elinor Fair	21 December 1903	26 April 1957	American	Actress and one of the leading ladies of silent films. Fair made her start in vaudeville as well as musical comedies and stock companies.	[266]
Dustin Farnum	27 May 1874	3 July 1939	American	Singer, dancer and actor with his brother, William Farnum.	[267]
William Farnum	4 July 1876	5 June 1953	American	Singer, dancer and actor with his brother, Dustin Farnum.	[267]
Edward M. Favor	29 August 1856	10 January 1936	American	Singer and comedian.
Anna Eva Fay	?	12 May 1927	American	Mind reader.	[268]
Elfie Fay	1881	18 September 1927	American	Comic singer.	[269]
Frank Fay	17 November 1897	25 September 1961	American	Comedian.	[269]
Alice Faye	5 May 1915	9 May 1998	American	Actress and singer. Faye's first professional appearance was as a singer and dancer at the age of 14. While appearing in George White's Scandals, Rudy Valee spotted her and she later became a regular on his radio show. Faye became 20th Century Fox's biggest musical star before Betty Grable was hired in 1940.	[270]
Frank Faylen	8 December 1905	2 August 1985	American	Pantomimist, clown and song and dance man.	[270]
Louise Fazenda	17 June 1895	17 April 1962	American	Trapeze artist.
Arthur Fields	6 August 1888	29 March 1953	American	Singer, songwriter and minstrel.	[271]
Benny Fields	14 June 1894	16 August 1959	American	Singer and actor.	[272]
Gracie Fields	1898	1979	British	Singer and comedienne, considered of the greatest stars of the British music halls.	[273]
Sidney Fields	5 February 1898	28 September 1975	American	In a comedy team with Jack Greenman.
W. C. Fields	29 January 1880	25 December 1946	American	Legendary comedian and actor, who got his first show biz exposure by running away as a teenager and joining a circus as a juggler. Later on, Fields the comic appeared at the Palace not to mention several editions of the Ziegfeld Follies and George White's Scandals. His films, including It's a Gift and The Bank Dick incorporated many of his stage routines.	[274][65][275]
Flora Finch	17 June 1869	4 January 1940	British-American	Born into a music hall family, Finch also made a splash in American vaudeville, appearing at the palace in January 1922. The actress also appeared with John Bunny in many films.	[276]
Ella Fitzgerald	25 April 1917	15 June 1996	American	Singer, discovered after winning the Apollo Theater's legendary amateur hour while still a teenager and worked the "Chitlin Circuit" (including the Cotton Club) with Chick Webb and his band before getting her first major record deal.	[155]
Bud Flanagan	29 March 1908	31 August 1968	American	Appeared in family's vaude act from infancy. Appeared later in films as Dennis O'Keefe.	[277]
Jay C. Flippen	6 March 1898	3 February 1971	American	White and blackface comedian.	[278]
Henry Fonda	16 May 1905	14 October 1977	American	Actor who toured vaudeville with George Billings.	[279]
Wallace Ford	12 February 1898	11 June 1966	British	Actor.	[280]
Four Cohans			American	Family comedy troupe consisting of father Jeremiah "Jere" Cohan (1848 – 1917), mother Helen "Nellie" Costigan Cohan (1854 – 1928), daughter Josephine "Josie" Cohan Niblo (1874 – 1916) and son George M. Cohan (3 or 4 July 1878 - 5 November 1942).	[65]
Harry Fox	25 May 1882	20 July 1959	American	Dancer and comedian. Creator of the Fox Trot.	[281]
Eddie Foy	9 March 1856	16 February 1928	American	Comedian and singer.	[282][65]
Eddie Foy, Jr.	4 February 1905	15 July 1983	American	Son of Eddie Foy and a member of his Seven Little Foys.	[283]
Irene Franklin	13 June 1876	16 June 1941	American	Singing comedienne.	[284]
Sidney Franklin	1903	6 April 1976	American	Bullfighter.	[285]
William Frawley	26 February 1887	3 March 1966	American	Actor and comedian, later found greater fame as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy	[286]
Arthur Freed	9 September 1894	12 April 1973	American	Singer and pianist, later known for writing hit songs with Nacio Herb Brown such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "You Were Meant for Me" and for producing legendary film musicals for MGM.	[20]
Kathleen Freeman	17 February 1919	23 August 2001	American	Danced at an early age in her parent's vaudeville act.
Leopoldo Fregoli	2 July 1867	26 November 1932	Italian	Protean or quick-change artist.	[287]
Ford Frick	19 December 1894	8 April 1978	American	Sportswriter who appeared in vaude.	[21]
Trixie Friganza	29 November 1870	27 February 1955	American	Singer.	[288]
Frankie Frisch	9 September 1897	12 March 1973	American	Former basbeball player who appeared in vaude.	[21]
Joe Frisco	4 November 1889	12 February 1958	American	Dancer and comedian.	[289]
Loie Fuller	15 January 1862	1 Janusary 1929	American	Dancer.	[290]
Will Fyffe	16 February 1885	14 December 1947	Scottish	Comedian and singer.	[291]

[edit] G

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Gallagher and Shean			American (Gallagher) and German-American (Shean)	Comic duo consisting of Edward Gallagher (1873 - 28 May 1929) and Al Shean (12 May 1868 - 12 August 1949). They had one of the biggest comic hits of the 1920s with their self-named song "Mister Gallagher and Mister Shean." Al Shean (real name Adolph Schönberg) was the uncle of The Marx Brothers	[292]
Maria Galvany	1878	1949	Spanish	Coloratura soprano.
Tess Gardella known as "Aunt Jemima"	1898	3 January 1950	American	Iconic blackface character played by Tess Gardella.	[293]
Judy Garland	10 June 1922	22 June 1969	American	Legendary singer and actress, toured with two elder siblings as "The Gumm Sisters" (their maiden name) from the age of 2. While in Chicago to perform at the 1934 World's Fair and the Oriental Theater, emcee George Jessel suggested to change their last name to "Garland" to not get laughs from the audience. Young Frances was a big fan of Rudy Vallee's song "Judy" so that stuck as the first name. Older sister Jimmie ran off and married a bandleader after the girls returned home to Lancaster, California. Judy was signed to a contract by MGM shortly thereafter.	[294]
Paul Garner	31 July 1909	8 August 2004	American	Comedian.
William Gaxton	2 December 1893	2 February 1963	American	Actor.	[295]
Charlie Gehringer	11 May 1903	21 January 1993	American	Baseball player who appeared in vaude.	[21]
Gladys George	13 September 1904	8 December 1954	American	Toured with her family act, "The Three Clares," later called "Little Gladys George and Company."	[296]
George Gershwin	26 September 1896	11 July 1937	American	Pianist, songwriter and composer, Gershwin accompanied Nora Bayes and Louise Dresser. After his brief foray into vaudeville, Gershwin became one of the most celebrated American composers of the early 20th century.	[20]
Dorothy Gibson	17 May 1889	17 February 1946	American	Actress.
Ella Margaret Gibson	14 September 1894	21 October 1964	American	Actress.
Billy Gilbert	12 September 1894	23 September 1971	American	Comedian and actor known for his sneeze routines.	[297]
L. Wolfe Gilbert	31 August 1886	12 July 1970	Russian-American	Singer and songwriter.	[298]
Jack Gilford	1907	1990	American	Actor and comedian.	[299]
Charles Sidney Gilpin	20 November 1878	6 May 1930	American	Actor.	[300]
Lottie Gilson	1867	10 June 1912	American	Soubrette and the first vaudevillian to use a singing stooge.	[301]
Billy Glasen	10 September 1904		American	Singing comedian and monologist.	[302]
Frank Glazer	1915		American	Pianist.
Madeline Gleason	1903	1979	American	Singer and dancer.
Elinor Glyn	17 October 1864	23 September 1943	British	Novelist, coined the phrase "It Girl".	[303]
George Fuller Golden	1868	17 February 1912	American	Singer, dancer and monologist.	[304]
Horace Goldin	17 December 1867	22 August 1939	Polish	Magician, the first one to play the Palace in 1913.	[305][304]
Lefty Gomez	26 November 1908	17 February 1989	American	Former baseball player and monologist.	[31]
Nathaniel Carl Goodwin	25 July 1857	31 January 1919	American	Actor and comedian.	[306]
David Gorcey	6 February 1921	23 October 1984	American	Singer. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Bert Gordon	8 April 1895	30 November 1974	American	Comedian.	[307]
Mack Gordon	21 June 1904	1 March 1959	American	Actor and singer.	[156]
Taylor Gordon	1893	1971	American	Actor.
Morton Gould	10 December 1913	21 February 1996	American	Pianist.
Hank Gowdy	24 August 1889	1 August 1966	American	Former baseball player, singer and comedian.	[31]
Archie Leach	18 January 1904	29 November 1986	British	Toured the US with the Penders acrobatic troupe. Was a stilt-walker with the Loumas troupe and served as leading man to actress, Jean Dalrymple, in one-act plays. Also appeared with Fay Wray and Jeanette MacDonald in several musical flops. When signed by Paramount Pictures in 1931, he was told he looked like a "Cary Grant", so his name was changed.	[308]
Charles Grapewin	20 December 1869	2 February 1956	American	Actor and comedian, later known to millions of moviegoers as Dorothy's "Uncle Henry" in The Wizard of Oz.	[17]
Gilda Gray	24 October 1901	22 December 1959	Polish-American	Dancer who introduced the "Shimmy," a dance involving the shaking of the hips. Gray starred in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922 and George White's Scandal and later appeared at the Palace Theater as a headliner.	[309]
Gene Greene	9 June 1881	5 April 1930	American	Singer and composer.
Charlotte Greenwood	25 June 1890	28 December 1977	American	Dancer and actress, known for her rubbery dance routines.	[310]
Arthur F. Griffith	30 July 1880	25 December 1911	American	Mathematical prodigy.
Larry Griswold	17 September 1905	24 August 1996	American	Acrobat and gymnast.
Grock	10 January 1880	14 July 1959	Swiss	Clown.	[311]
Yvette Guilbert	20 January 1865	2 February 1944	French	Chanteuse.	[312]
Texas Guinan	12 January 1884	5 November 1933	American	Singer and famed nightclub hostess.	[272]

[edit] H

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Janette Hackett	1898	16 August 1979	American	Dancer with Harry Delmar (9 September 1892 - 29 August 1954) in the duo Hackett and Delmar.	[313]
Jack Haley	10 August 1898	6 June 1979	American	Actor and comedian.	[281][314]
Adelaide Hall	20 October 1904	7 November 1993	British	Singer.	[315][316]
Nan Halperin	1898	30 May 1963	Russian-American	Singing comedienne.	[317]
Walter Hampden	30 June 1879	11 June 1955	American	Actor.	[171]
Hunter Hancock	1916	4 August 2004	American	Singer. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Lou Handman	10 September 1894	9 December 1956	American	Pianist and songwriter.
W. C. Handy	16 November 1873	28 March 1958	American	Musician and composer known as "The Father of the Blues."	[318][319]
Fred Haney	25 April 1896	9 November 1977	American	Former basbeball player.	[21]
Poodles Hanneford	1892	9 December 1967	British	Clown and bareback horse rider.	[320]
Theodore Hardeen	4 March 1876	12 June 1945	Hungarian	Magician and escape artist; Harry Houdini's brother.	[321]
Otis Harlan	29 December 1865	21 January 1940	American	Actor. Appeared in a burlesque called Hell by Renold Wolf in the first show at New York City's Folies Bergere, April 16, 1911.	[322]
Ben Harney	6 March 1872	2 March 1938	American	Pianist, singer and songwriter.	[323]
Harrigan and Hart			American	Comic duo composed of Edward Harrigan (26 October 1844 - 6 June 1911) and Tony Hart (25 July 1855 - 4 November 1891).	[314][324]
Marion Harris	1896	23 April 1944	American	Singer.	[325]
Mildred Harris	29 November 1901	20 July 1944	American	Harris began as a juvenile actress in vaudeville, burlesque, on the legit stage and on film where she appeared at the age of 9. Later Charlie Chaplin's first wife, she appeared in a playlet, Getting the Money at the Royal Theatre in New York in February 1922.	[326][276]
Hartman and Hartman			American	Comedy dance team with Paul (1 March 1904 - 2 October 1973) and his sister, Grace Hartman (7 January 1907 - 8 August 1955)	[327]
Morton Harvey	1886	1961	American	Singer.
Loney Haskell	1870	20 October 1933	American	Monologist.	[328]
June Havoc	8 November 1916		American	Actress and dancer. Sister of Gypsy Rose Lee.	[329]
George 'Gabby' Hayes	7 May 1885	9 February 1969	American	Actor who appeared in vaudeville before entering films in the 1920s where he was seen mostly in Westerns.	[330]
Grace Hayes	23 August 1895	1 February 1989	American	Singer.	[331]
Helen Hayes	10 October 1900	17 March 1993	American	Actress.
Peter Lind Hayes	25 June 1915	21 April 1998	American	Actor.	[332]
Rita Hayworth	17 October 1918	14 May 1987	American	Dancer in her family's Spanish dancing act, The Dancing Cansinos led by her father, Eduardo Cansino, Sr..	[161]
Ted Healy	1 October 1896	21 December 1937	American	Blackface comedian, dancer and singer.	[333]
Lew Hearn	15 February 1882	February 1965	Polish	Comedian.	[334]
Hy Heath	1890	1965	American	Comedian and songwriter.
Millicent Hearst	16 July 1882	5 December 1974	American	Performer until she became the wife of William Randolph Hearst.
Horace Heidt	21 May 1901	1 December 1986	American	Pianist and bandleader of the band, "Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights".	[335]
Anna Held	8 March 1872	12 August 1918	Polish	Actress and singer.	[336]
Percy Helton	31 January 1894	11 September 1971	American	Appeared in his father's vaude act at the age of 2.
Fletcher Henderson	18 December 1897	28 December 1952	American	Pianist, bandleader and composer at one time teamed with Eubie Blake. Henderson later toured with Ethel Waters from 1921-2.	[255][337]
Ray Henderson	1 December 1896	31 December 1970	American	Song and dance man and songwriter.	[251]
Herschel Henlere or Hendler	14 December 1890	13 January 1968	Canadian	Pianist and comedian.	[338]
Beatrice Herford	1868	1952	British-American	Monologist.	[339]
Al Herman	1886	2 July 1967	American	Blackface comedian.	[340]
Woody Herman	16 May 1913	29 October 1987	American	Clarinetist, saxophonist, singer and bandleader.	[341]
Juano Hernández	19 July 1901	17 July 1970	Puerto Rican	Originally a boxer, Hernández quit the sport in the early 1920s and worked in traveling and minstrel shows, circuses and in vaudeville before entering film.	[342]
Alexander Herrmann billed as "The Great Herrmann"	11 February 1844	11 December 1896	German	Magician. Upon his death, Herrmann's wife, Adelaide (1854 - 1932) took over his act.	[340]
Art Hickman	13 June 1886	1930	American	Bandleader.	[343]
Hildegarde	1 February 1906	29 July 2005	American	Singer.	[344]
Bertha "Chippie" Hill	15 March 1905	7 May 1950	American	Blues singer. Initially Hill appeared on the TOBA circuit as a singer and dancer with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels.	[345]
Daisy and Violet Hilton	5 February 1908	6 January 1969	British	Conjoined twins.	[346]
Raymond Hitchcock	22 October 1865	24 November 1929	American	Monologist.	[347]
Gertrude Hoffman	17 May 1871	21 October 1966	German	Interpretive dancer.	[348]
Ernest Hogan	1859	20 May 1909	American	Blackface comedian billed as "the Unbleached American." Credited with the creation of the "coon" song and as one of the creators of ragtime music.	[349]
Fay Holderness	16 April 1881	13 May 1963	American	Actress.
Taylor Holmes	16 May 1878	30 September 1959	American	Light actor.	[350]
Lou Holtz	11 April 1893	22 September 1980	American	Comedian and dialectical singer.	[351]
Bob Hope	29 May 1903	27 July 2003	British-American	Actor and comedian.	[352]
DeWolf Hopper	30 March 1858	23 September 1935	American	Actor and comedian, known for his recitations of the poem, Casey at the Bat.	[353]
Edna Wallace Hopper	17 January 1874	14 December 1959	American	Actress.	[354]
Edward Everett Horton	18 March 1886	29 September 1970	American	Singer and dancer.
Allen "Farina" Hoskins	9 August 1920	26 July 1980	American	Child actor who appeared in the Our Gang series of short films. He and his sister, Janie, had an act together.
Harry Houdini	24 March 1874	31 October 1926	Hungarian	Magician and escape artist.	[355]
Howard Brothers			American	Comic duo made up of Willie Howard (1886 - 1949) and Eugene Howard (1880 - 1965).	[356]
Joseph Howard	12 February 1867	19 May 1961	American	Singer and songwriter.	[357]
Buddy Howe	c. 1910	4 March 1981	American	Acrobatic dancer.	[358]
Alice Howell	5 May 1888	12 April 1961	American	Comedienne in an act with her husband, Dick Smith.	[359]
Waite Hoyt	9 September 1899	25 August 1984	American	Singer and dancer.
Doris Humphrey	17 October 1895	29 December 1958	American	Dancer.
Walter Huston	6 April 1884	7 April 1950	Canadian	Actor and singer.	[324]
Hyams and McIntyre			American	Husband-wife comedic duo with John Hyams (6 June 1869 - 9 December 1940) and Leila McIntyre (20 December 1882 - 9 January 1953). Their daughter, Leila (1 May 1905 - 4 December 1977), appeared with them as a child.	[360][332]

[edit] I-J

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Imhof, Conn and Corinne			American	Comic trio. Roger Imhof (January or 15 August 1875-15 April 1958), his wife, Marcel Corinne or Coreene (d. 1977), and an associate, Conn (about whom, little is known), toured in two comic sketches, "The Pest House" and "Surgeon Louder." Imhof began his career as a circus clown and Irish comic and following vaudeville, appeared as a character actor in a number of Hollywood films.	[361] [362]
May Irwin	27 June 1862	22 October 1938	Canadian	Comedienne and actress.	[363]
Joe Jackson Sr.	1 January 1881	14 May 1942	Austrian	Bicyclist and comic. Born as Josef Francis Jiranek in Vienna, Austria, where he began competing in cycling races and later appeared in circuses, clowning with his bicycle. Appearing on the American stage for the first time in 1911, Jackson's act involved him entering the stage dressed as a clownish tramp and attempting to ride a bicycle that was slowly falling apart. He would often end his act with a series of athletic riding tricks. He appeared in a number of Broadway shows and Hollywood films including some directed by Mack Sennett. Jackson died on his way to his dressing room following a performance at the Roxy Theatre in 1942.	[364] [365]
Tony Jackson	5 June 1876	20 April 1921	American	Pianist, singer and composer. Best known for his song, Pretty Baby, Jackson appeared in vaude as a singer and pianist in the Whitman Sisters' New Orleans Troubadours during their tour in 1904. He later appeared with them in 1910. New Orleans born, Jackson began his career playing in the brothels of that city's red-light district, Storyville and following his work in vaudeville, he continued his performing in Chicago.	[366] [367]
Lou Jacobs	1 January 1903	13 September 1992	German	Clown.
Elsie Janis	16 March 1889	26 February 1956	American	Singer and actress.	[65][368]
Frank Jenks	4 November 1902	13 May 1962	American	Singer and dancer.	[369]
George Jessel	3 April 1898	23 May 1981	American	Actor and singer.	[370]
Jack Johnson	31 March 1878	10 June 1946	American	First African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World. He first appeared on the vaudeville stage in 1909 at Hammerstein's Victoria in New York City, appearing in the ring with white boxer, Kid Cutler. He went on a thirty-week vaudeville tour the following year.	[371] [372]
George W. Johnson	c. 1855	1914	American	Singer.
Ralph Johnstone	1886	17 November 1910	American	Bicyclist. Originated the trick of jumping a bicycle up and down stairs on one wheel.	[373]
Al Jolson	26 May 1886	23 October 1950	Lithuanian-American	Actor and singer.	[65][374]
Sissieretta Jones	5 January 1869	24 June 1933	American	African-American Soprano, often billed as "The Black Patti." Jones was one of the first African-American singers to perform classical and operatic repertoire. Starting in 1896, Jones was the centerpiece of a travelling vaudeville show called the Black Patti Troubadours which included African-American singers, dancers and comedians.	[375] [376]

[edit] K

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Performance notes	Reference
Armand Kaliz	23 October 1887	1 February 1941	French	Actor.
Bert Kalmar	10 February 1884	18 September 1947	American	Magician and songwriter teamed with Harry Ruby.	[377]
Harry Kandel	1885	1943	Russian	Clarinetist and bandleader.
Helen Kane	4 August 1903	26 September 1966	American	Singer.	[378]
Kara	17 October 1883	9 April 1939	German	Juggler credited as performing the first "Gentleman juggling" act. Dressed in a top hat and tails, Kara would then juggle the numerous props onstage.	[379][380]
Beatrice Kay	21 April 1907	8 November 1986	American	Singer and actress.
Stubby Kaye	11 November 1918	14 December 1997	American	Comic actor.	[381]
Buster Keaton	4 October 1895	1 February 1966	American	Actor, acrobat and comedian. Member of his family's act, The Three Keatons, with his parents, Joe (1867 - 1946) and Myra (1877 - 1955).	[382]
Frank Keenan	8 April 1858	24 February 1929	American	Actor.	[383]
Harry Kellar	1849	1922	American	Magician.	[384]
Helen Keller	27 June 1880	1 June 1968	American	Deafblind lecturer. Appeared with her teacher, Anne Sullivan.	[303]
Keller Sisters and Lynch			American	Singing trio of siblings consisting of Annie Catherine "Nan" Keller (1900 - 1975), Kathryne Ann "Taddy" Keller (1909 - 1962) and Frank Lynch (1902 - 1992).
Annette Kellerman	6 July 1887	5 November 1975	Australian	Swimmer.	[385]
Gene Kelly	23 August 1912	2 February 1996	American	Dancer, singer and actor.	[386]
George Kelly	16 January 1887	18 June 1974	American	Actor.
King Kelly	31 December 1857	8 November 1894	American	Former baseball player and comedian.
Walter Kelly	29 October 1873	6 January 1939	American	Monologist and dialectician.	[387]
Pert Kelton	23 August 1912	2 February 1996	American	Dancer, singer and actor.	[388]
Freddie Keppard	27 February 1890	15 July 1933	American	Jazz cornetist.	[389]
Jerome Kern	27 January 1885	11 November 1945	American	Pianist and accompanist for Edna Wallace Hopper. Kern later became one of the best known musical theatre composers of the early 20th century.	[390]
J. Warren Kerrigan	1916	4 August 2004	American	Singer. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Joseph Kesselring	25 July 1879	9 June 1947	American	Actor.
Victor Kilian	6 March 1891	11 March 1979	American	Actor.	[391]
Charles King	1889	1941	American	Song and dance man later on Broadway and in the Ziegfeld Follies.	[392]
Hetty King	1883	28 September 1972	British	Male impersonator and singer.	[393]
Johnny Kling	25 February 1875	31 January 1947	American	Baseball player who appeared in vaude with a monologue and a champ billiards exhibition act.	[118]
Fred Kohler	20 April 1888	28 October 19638	American	Character actor.	[394]
Kolb and Dill			American	Dutch dialect knockabout comic duo with Clarence Kolb (31 July 1874 - 25 November 1964) and Max Dill (15 September 1876 - 21 November 1949).	[395]

[edit] Notes

[edit] Sources