Al Jolson
Sign in to saveLithuanian-born American entertainer, actor, and singer (1886–1950)
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1886
- Died
- 1950
- Works
- 2
Top works
- The best of Al Jolson
- You ain't heard nothing yet
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Sredniki, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Seredžius, Lithuania]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer". He was born in the Russian Empire (the part of which is now in Lithuania) and emigrated to America at the age of five with his Jewish parents. His performing…
Known for
- O Filme que Fala — Jakie Rabinowitz (archive footage)2026
- Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood — Self (archive footage)2025
- Sunshine State — Self (archive footage)2022
- The Real Charlie Chaplin — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)2021
- Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty — archive footage2020
- Vito — Self (archive)2011
- The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk — Self (archive footage)2007
- Vaudeville — Self (archive footage)1997
- Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To — (archive footage)1990
- Going Hollywood: The '30s — (archive footage)1984
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 107,577
- Total plays
- 635,931
Tags
jazz20soldiesmusic hallmale vocalists
Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson; c. 26 May 1886 [Old Style] / 9 June 1886 [New Style] – 23 October 1950) was an American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was among the most prominent and highest-paid entertainers in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s, and was known for his emotive and theatrical performance style, which contributed to the popularisation of many songs he performed. His influence on early 20th-century musical theatre has been noted by historians and critics <a h
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
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· 2019 · cited 19,828x
- Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
· 2020 · cited 15,235x
- Tissue-based map of the human proteome
· 2015 · cited 13,711x
- Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
· 2018 · cited 10,771x
- Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk Factors, 1990–2019
· 2020 · cited 9,668x
via Crossref · CC0
Key facts
- Born
- Asa Yoelson , May 26, 1886, Sredniki , Russian Empire
- Died
- October 23, 1950 (1950-10-23) (aged 64), San Francisco , California, U.S.
- Resting place
- Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
- Occupations
- Singer comedian actor vaudevillian
- Years active
- 1897–1950
- Political party
- Republican
- Children
- 3 (all adopted)
- Genres
- Jazz blues ragtime pop
- Labels
- Victor Columbia Little Wonder Brunswick Decca
- Website
- jolson .org
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Born
- 26 May 1886
- Died
- 23 October 1950
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Asa
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Seredžius
- Place of death
- San Francisco
- Occupation
- musician
- Employer
- Warner Bros. Entertainment
- Political party
- Republican Party (United States)
- Languages spoken
- English language
Article
Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, Yiddish: אַסאַ יואלסאָן; c. May 26, 1886 (O.S.) June 9, 1886 (N.S.) – October 23, 1950) was an American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian.
Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer", Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1910s and 1920s. He was known for his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach" towards performing, along with popularizing many of the songs he sang. According to music historian Larry Stempel, "No one had heard anything quite like it before on Broadway." Stephen Banfield wrote that Jolson's style was "arguably the single most important factor in defining the modern musical." Jolson has been referred to by modern critics as "the king of blackface performers".
Gallery (2)
Connections
Categories
1886 births1950 deaths20th-century American comedians20th-century American male actors20th-century American male singers20th-century American singers20th-century Lithuanian JewsActivists for African-American civil rightsAge controversiesAmerican blues singersAmerican jazz singersAmerican male comedians