Asa "Al Jolson" Yoelson (born to Jewish immigrants Moshe Reuben Yoelson and… Read Full Bio ↴Asa "Al Jolson" Yoelson (born to Jewish immigrants Moshe Reuben Yoelson and Naomi Etta Cantor - the original family name was Hesselson - in Seredžius, Lithuania on May 26, 1885 or 1886, and died in San Francisco, California on October 23, 1950) was an American singer. He was one of the most popular entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.
Early life and career
The son of the Rabbi of the Talmud Torah Synagogue (now Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah) in Washington, D.C., Jolson became a popular singer in New York City in 1898, and gradually developed the key elements of his performance: blackface makeup; exuberant gestures; operatic-style singing; whistling and directly addressing his audience.
By 1911, he had parlayed a supporting appearance in the Broadway musical La Belle Paree into a starring role. He began recording and was soon internationally famous for his extraordinary stage presence and personal rapport with audiences. His Broadway career is unmatched for length and popularity, having spanned close to 30 years (1911-1940). Audiences shouted, pleaded, and often would not allow the show to proceed, such was the power of Jolson's presence. At one performance in Boston, the usual staid and conservative audience stopped the show for 45 minutes. He was said to have had an "electric" personality, along with the ability to make each member of the audience believe that he was singing only to them. However, he is best known today for his appearance in one of the first "talkies" The Jazz Singer, the first feature film with sound to enjoy wide commercial success, in 1927. In The Jazz Singer Jolson performed the song "Mammy" in blackface. In truth, Jolson's singing was never jazz, indeed his style remained forever rooted in the vaudeville stage at the turn of 20th century.
Jolson is the first music artist to sell over 10 million records. While no official Billboard magazine chart existed during Jolson's career, their staff archivist Joel Whitburn used a variety of sources such as Talking Machine World's list of top-selling recordings, and Billboard's own sheet music and vaudeville charts to estimate the hits of 1890-1954. By his reckoning, Jolson had the equivalent of 23 No. 1 hits, the 4th-highest total ever, trailing only Bing Crosby, Paul Whiteman, and Guy Lombardo. Whitburn calculates that Jolson topped one chart or another for 114 weeks.
Among the many songs popularized by Jolson were "You Made Me Love You," "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody," "Swanee" (songwriter George Gershwin's first success), "April Showers," "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye," "California, Here I Come," "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along," "Sonny Boy" and "Avalon."
Jolson was a political and economic conservative, supporting Calvin Coolidge for president of the United States in 1924 (with the ditty "Keep Cool with Coolidge") unlike most other Jews in the arts, who supported the losing Democratic candidate, John William Davis.
Jolson was married to actress/dancer Ruby Keeler from 1928 to 1940, when they divorced. The couple had adopted a son, Al Jolson Jr., during their marriage, but when he was 14 the boy changed his name to Peter Lowe after his mother's second husband, John Lowe.
After leaving the Broadway stage, Jolson starred on radio. The Al Jolson Show aired 1933-1939, 1942-1943, and 1947-1949, and these shows were typically rated in the top ten. Jolson continued performing until his death in 1950.
The Jolson story
After the success of Warner Bros. film Yankee Doodle Dandy about George M. Cohan, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky believed that a smiliar film could be made about Al Jolson -- and he knew just where to pitch the project. Harry Cohn may have seemed to a lot of people in Hollywood like a crude, loud vulgarian, but he had one soft spot: he loved the music of Al Jolson.
Skolsky pitched the idea of an Al Jolson biopic and Cohn agreed to it. Directed by Alfred E. Green (best known today for the pre-Code masterpiece Baby Face, The Jolson Story is one of the most entertaining of the musical biopics of that era -- an era that included Yankee Doodle Dandy, Till the Clouds Roll By, Words and Music and Three Little Words. With Jolson providing almost all the vocals, and actor Larry Parks playing Jolson, The Jolson Story was released in 1946, and became one of the biggest hits of the year. Parks received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and the film became one of the highest grossing films of the year.
"The Jolson Story," and its 1949 sequel "Jolson Sings Again," led to a whole new generation who became enthralled with Jolson's voice and charisma. Jolson, who had been a popular guest star on radio since its earliest days, now had his own show, hosting the "Kraft Music Hall" from 1947-1949, with Oscar Levant as a sardonic piano-playing sidekick. Despite such singers as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como being in their primes, Jolson was voted the "Most Popular Male Vocalist" in 1948 by a Variety poll. The next year, Jolson was named Personality of the Year by the Variety Clubs of America. When Jolson appeared on Bing Crosby's radio show, he attributed his receiving the award to his being the only singer not to make a record of Mule Train, which had been a widely covered hit of that year (four different versions, one of them by Crosby, had made the top ten on the charts).
Jolson joked that he'd tried to sing the hit song. "I got the clippetys all right, but I can't clop like I used to."
Jolson's legacy is considered by many to be severely neglected today because of his use of stage blackface, at the time a theatrical convention used by many performers (both white and black), but today viewed by many as racially insensitive. Jolson was billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," which is how many of the greatest stars (including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Jackie Wilson) referred to him. Charles Chaplin wrote in his Autobiography that he was one of the most electrifying entertainers he had ever seen. A life-long devotion to entertaining American servicemen (he first sang for servicemen of the Spanish-American War as a boy in Washington, D.C.) led Jolson, against the advice of his doctors, to entertain troops in Korea in 1950 when his heart began to fail.
Death
Jolson died on October 23, 1950, in San Francisco at a card game, at the age of 64, apparently of a heart attack, and was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California, where a statue of Jolson beckons visitors to his crypt. On the day he died, Broadway turned off its lights for 10 minutes in Jolson's honor.
Al Jolson has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:
1. For his contribution to the motion picture industry at 6622 Hollywood Blvd.;
2. For his contribution to the recording industry at 1716 Vine St.;
3. For his contribution to the radio industry at 6750 Hollywood Blvd.
Forty-four years after Jolson's death, the United States Postal Service acknowledged his contribution by issuing a postage stamp in his honor. The 29-cent stamp was unveiled by Erle Jolson Krasna, Jolson's fourth wife, at a ceremony in New York City's Lincoln Center on September 1, 1994. This stamp was one of a series honoring popular American singers, which included Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Ethel Merman, and Ethel Waters. Al Jolson is one of Mr. Burns' (from The Simpsons) favorite actors - he still believes that he is alive.
Jolson's song I'm Sitting on Top of the World was played during the opening montage of 1930's New York City in the 2005 remake of King Kong.
In August of 2006, Al Jolson had a street in New York named after him.
Early life and career
The son of the Rabbi of the Talmud Torah Synagogue (now Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah) in Washington, D.C., Jolson became a popular singer in New York City in 1898, and gradually developed the key elements of his performance: blackface makeup; exuberant gestures; operatic-style singing; whistling and directly addressing his audience.
By 1911, he had parlayed a supporting appearance in the Broadway musical La Belle Paree into a starring role. He began recording and was soon internationally famous for his extraordinary stage presence and personal rapport with audiences. His Broadway career is unmatched for length and popularity, having spanned close to 30 years (1911-1940). Audiences shouted, pleaded, and often would not allow the show to proceed, such was the power of Jolson's presence. At one performance in Boston, the usual staid and conservative audience stopped the show for 45 minutes. He was said to have had an "electric" personality, along with the ability to make each member of the audience believe that he was singing only to them. However, he is best known today for his appearance in one of the first "talkies" The Jazz Singer, the first feature film with sound to enjoy wide commercial success, in 1927. In The Jazz Singer Jolson performed the song "Mammy" in blackface. In truth, Jolson's singing was never jazz, indeed his style remained forever rooted in the vaudeville stage at the turn of 20th century.
Jolson is the first music artist to sell over 10 million records. While no official Billboard magazine chart existed during Jolson's career, their staff archivist Joel Whitburn used a variety of sources such as Talking Machine World's list of top-selling recordings, and Billboard's own sheet music and vaudeville charts to estimate the hits of 1890-1954. By his reckoning, Jolson had the equivalent of 23 No. 1 hits, the 4th-highest total ever, trailing only Bing Crosby, Paul Whiteman, and Guy Lombardo. Whitburn calculates that Jolson topped one chart or another for 114 weeks.
Among the many songs popularized by Jolson were "You Made Me Love You," "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody," "Swanee" (songwriter George Gershwin's first success), "April Showers," "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye," "California, Here I Come," "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along," "Sonny Boy" and "Avalon."
Jolson was a political and economic conservative, supporting Calvin Coolidge for president of the United States in 1924 (with the ditty "Keep Cool with Coolidge") unlike most other Jews in the arts, who supported the losing Democratic candidate, John William Davis.
Jolson was married to actress/dancer Ruby Keeler from 1928 to 1940, when they divorced. The couple had adopted a son, Al Jolson Jr., during their marriage, but when he was 14 the boy changed his name to Peter Lowe after his mother's second husband, John Lowe.
After leaving the Broadway stage, Jolson starred on radio. The Al Jolson Show aired 1933-1939, 1942-1943, and 1947-1949, and these shows were typically rated in the top ten. Jolson continued performing until his death in 1950.
The Jolson story
After the success of Warner Bros. film Yankee Doodle Dandy about George M. Cohan, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky believed that a smiliar film could be made about Al Jolson -- and he knew just where to pitch the project. Harry Cohn may have seemed to a lot of people in Hollywood like a crude, loud vulgarian, but he had one soft spot: he loved the music of Al Jolson.
Skolsky pitched the idea of an Al Jolson biopic and Cohn agreed to it. Directed by Alfred E. Green (best known today for the pre-Code masterpiece Baby Face, The Jolson Story is one of the most entertaining of the musical biopics of that era -- an era that included Yankee Doodle Dandy, Till the Clouds Roll By, Words and Music and Three Little Words. With Jolson providing almost all the vocals, and actor Larry Parks playing Jolson, The Jolson Story was released in 1946, and became one of the biggest hits of the year. Parks received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and the film became one of the highest grossing films of the year.
"The Jolson Story," and its 1949 sequel "Jolson Sings Again," led to a whole new generation who became enthralled with Jolson's voice and charisma. Jolson, who had been a popular guest star on radio since its earliest days, now had his own show, hosting the "Kraft Music Hall" from 1947-1949, with Oscar Levant as a sardonic piano-playing sidekick. Despite such singers as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como being in their primes, Jolson was voted the "Most Popular Male Vocalist" in 1948 by a Variety poll. The next year, Jolson was named Personality of the Year by the Variety Clubs of America. When Jolson appeared on Bing Crosby's radio show, he attributed his receiving the award to his being the only singer not to make a record of Mule Train, which had been a widely covered hit of that year (four different versions, one of them by Crosby, had made the top ten on the charts).
Jolson joked that he'd tried to sing the hit song. "I got the clippetys all right, but I can't clop like I used to."
Jolson's legacy is considered by many to be severely neglected today because of his use of stage blackface, at the time a theatrical convention used by many performers (both white and black), but today viewed by many as racially insensitive. Jolson was billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," which is how many of the greatest stars (including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Jackie Wilson) referred to him. Charles Chaplin wrote in his Autobiography that he was one of the most electrifying entertainers he had ever seen. A life-long devotion to entertaining American servicemen (he first sang for servicemen of the Spanish-American War as a boy in Washington, D.C.) led Jolson, against the advice of his doctors, to entertain troops in Korea in 1950 when his heart began to fail.
Death
Jolson died on October 23, 1950, in San Francisco at a card game, at the age of 64, apparently of a heart attack, and was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California, where a statue of Jolson beckons visitors to his crypt. On the day he died, Broadway turned off its lights for 10 minutes in Jolson's honor.
Al Jolson has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:
1. For his contribution to the motion picture industry at 6622 Hollywood Blvd.;
2. For his contribution to the recording industry at 1716 Vine St.;
3. For his contribution to the radio industry at 6750 Hollywood Blvd.
Forty-four years after Jolson's death, the United States Postal Service acknowledged his contribution by issuing a postage stamp in his honor. The 29-cent stamp was unveiled by Erle Jolson Krasna, Jolson's fourth wife, at a ceremony in New York City's Lincoln Center on September 1, 1994. This stamp was one of a series honoring popular American singers, which included Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Ethel Merman, and Ethel Waters. Al Jolson is one of Mr. Burns' (from The Simpsons) favorite actors - he still believes that he is alive.
Jolson's song I'm Sitting on Top of the World was played during the opening montage of 1930's New York City in the 2005 remake of King Kong.
In August of 2006, Al Jolson had a street in New York named after him.
Back to the Carolina You Love
Al Jolson Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Back to the Carolina You Love' by these artists:
Charles A. Prince Orchestra Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Al Jolson:
A Broken Doll I wonder why I always sigh the way I do, And…
A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody A I have an ear for music, and I have…
About a Quarter to Nine Life begins when somebody's eyes look into your own. Life be…
After You Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
After You've Gone Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
Ain Bill collectors gather 'round and rather Haunt the cottage n…
Alabamy Bound I'm Alabamy bound, There'll be no heebie jeebies hangin' rou…
Alexander "Say Al, you're a guest here today Don't you think you…
All Alone All alone, I'm so all alone There is no one else…
All By Myself I'm so unhappy What'll I do? I long for somebody who Will sy…
All My Love All My Love, I give you All My Love, The skies…
Almost Like Being in Love What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm…
Always I'm always chasing rainbows Watching clouds drifting by My s…
Am I Blue There she is, my old gal, There he is, my old…
Anniversary Song Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed We…
Anniversary Waltz We just discovered each other Tonight when the lights were l…
April Showers Life is not a highway strewn with flowers Still it holds…
Are You Lonesome Tonight Are you lonesome tonight Do you miss me tonight Are you sorr…
Avalon I found my love in Avalon Beside the bay. I left my…
Baby Face Rosy cheeks and turned up nose and curly hair I'm raving…
Back In My Own Back Yard We leave home, expecting to find a bluebird, Hoping every cl…
Back in Your Own Backyard We leave home expecting to find a blue bird, Hoping ev'ry…
Bali Hai Most people live on a lonely island Lost in the middle…
Beautiful Dreamer Beautiful dreamer, Wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are a…
Big Boy Like all Kentucky boys longing for the city joys I left…
Blue River Birds in the trees And a song on the breeze Blue River,…
Blue Skies Blue skies smilin' at me Nothin' but blue skies do I…
Broken Hearted There she is, my old gal, There he is, my old…
Brother Can You Spare a Dime They used to tell me I was building a dream And…
By Light Of The Silvery Moon Place park, scene dark, silvery moon is shining through the…
Bye Bye Baby I'll be in my room alone Every post meridian And I'll read…
California When the wintry winds are blowing and the snow is…
California, Here I Come When the wintry winds starts blowing And the snow is startin…
Camptown Races Well, I came down there with my hat caved in Oh…
Carolina in the Morning Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina In the…
Chasing Rainbows I'm always chasing rainbows Watching clouds drifting by My s…
Chere I Come When the wintry winds are blowing and the snow is…
Chicago I got the surprise, the surprise of my life I had…
Chinatown My Chinatown When the town is fast asleep, and it's midnight in…
Chloe Chloe! Chloe! Someone's calling, no reply Nightshade's fall…
Christmas Dreaming I'm doing my christmas dreaming A little early this year No …
Come to Me Bend to Me Because they told me I can't behold ye till weddin'…
Crazy for You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
Darktown Strutters Ball I've got some good news, honey An invitation to the Darktown…
De Camptown Races Well, I came down there with my hat caved in Oh…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath the…
Dirty Hands Dirty Face Wonderful pals are always hard to find Some folks have one,…
Down Where the Swanee River Flows I had a big surprise today while in a ten…
dreamer Beautiful dreamer, Wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are a…
Easter Parade In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, You'll…
For Me and My Gal The bells are ringing for me and my gal. The birds…
Give My Regard to Broadway Give my regards to Broadway Remember me to Herald Square Tel…
Golden Gate You are talking of Heaven When you talk of the West And…
Halalula I'm A Bum Rockefeller's busy giving dough away; Chevrolet is busy maki…
Hallelujah! IÂ’m A Bum Rockefeller's busy giving dough away; Chevrolet is busy mak…
Happy Times Wish on the moon And look for the gold in a…
Hello Like all Kentucky boys longing for the city joys I left…
Hello 'tucky Like all Kentucky boys longing for the city joys I left…
Hello Ma Baby Hello, ma baby Hello, ma honey Hello, ma Regtime Gal Send me…
Hello Tucky Like all Kentucky boys longing for the city joys I left…
Here I Am There she is, my old gal, There he is, my old…
Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight Come along, get ready, wear your grand brand-new gown, For t…
How Deep Is the Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
I When the wintry winds are blowing and the snow is…
I Dream of Jeannie I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair Borne, like…
I Gave Her That Folks, I want to ask you something Have you seen my…
I Love to Sing-a I love to sing-a About a moon-a and a June-a and…
i love to singa I love to sing-a About a moon-a and a June-a and…
I Love You You made me love you I didn't wanna do it I didn't…
I Only Have Eyes for You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I Only Have Eyes Fot You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I Want a Girl You made me love you I didn't wanna do it I didn't…
I Was Born in Virginia I was born in a Southern state Where all nature's sublime In…
I Wonder What Became of Sally I wonder what's become of Sally, That old gal of mine. The…
I'd Climb The Highest Mountain I'd climb the highest mountain If I knew that when I…
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain If I Knew I'd Find You I'd climb the highest mountain If I knew that when I…
I'll Be Around I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places That…
I'll Say She Does I've got a brand new sweetie Better than the one before Oh,…
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows I'm always chasing rainbows Watching clouds drifting by My s…
I'm Happy What care I who makes the laws of a nation Let…
I'm Just Wild About Harry I'm just wild about Harry And Harry's wild about me! The hea…
I'm Sittin' On Top of the World I'm sitting on top of the world Just rolling along, Just…
I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now Alqaedas Incorporated. mera dame un breakesito aqui, mera ¿…
Id Climb the Highest Mountain I'd climb the highest mountain If I knew that when I…
Im Just Wild About Harry I'm just wild about Harry And Harry's wild about me! The hea…
In Our House Father wears his Sunday best Mother's tired she needs a rest…
In The Big Time Come along, get ready, wear your grand brand-new gown, For t…
In the Evening by the Moonlight In the evening by the moonlight When my mother had finished…
Is It True What They Say Is it true what they say about Dixie? Does the…
Isn't This A Lovely Day The weather is frightening. The thunder and lightning Seem t…
IT Kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once…
It All Depends on You Lovers depend on moonlight For a love affair Babies depend o…
It's Been a Long Long Time Kiss me once, then kiss me twice Then kiss me once…
IÂ’m Just Wild About Harry I'm just wild about Harry And Harry's wild about me! The h…
IÂ’m Sitting On Top Of The World I'm sitting on top of the world Just rolling along, Just…
I’m Just Wild About Harry I'm just wild about Harry And Harry's wild about me! The hea…
I’m Sitting On Top Of The World I'm sitting on top of the world Just rolling along, Just…
Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair Borne, like…
Just One of Those Things It was just one of those things Just one of those…
Latin from Manhattan Fate sent her to me, over the sea from Spain, And…
Lazy Ev'ry time I see a puppy upon a summer's day…
Let Me Sing What care I who makes the laws of a nation? Let…
Let Me Sing & I What care I who makes the laws of a nation Let…
Let Me Sing & I'm Happy What care I who makes the laws of a nation? Let…
Let Me Sing And I What care I who makes the laws of a nation Let…
Let Me Sing And I'll Be Happy What care I who makes the laws of a nation? Let…
let me sing and iÂ’m happy What care I who makes the laws of a nation Let…
let me sing and im happy What care I who makes the laws of a nation? Let…
Little Pal Little Pal, if Daddy Goes away Promise you'll be good from…
Little Sunshine A lot of cobwebs in your head You're getting rusty, so…
Liza Liza, Liza, skies are grey But if you smile at me,…
Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away Liza, Liza, skies are gray But if you smile on me,…
Liza Lee Liza, Liza, skies are grey But if you smile at me,…
Love Me or Leave Me: You Made Me Love You You made me love you I didn't want to do it I…
Lullaby Of Broadway Come on along and listen to The lullaby of Broadway The hip…
Ma There's a little bunch of sweetness, That I long to call…
Ma BlushinÂ’ Rosie There's a little bunch of sweetness That I long to call…
Mammy Everything is lovely When you start to roam; The birds are s…
Mammy Mine Mammy mine, your little rolling stone that rolled away, roll…
Mandy I was strolling out one evening by the silvery moon I…
Margie You can talk about your love affairs Here's one I must…
Me And My Shadow The bells are ringing for me and my gal. The birds…
Medley: Alexander's Ragtime Band "Say Al, you're a guest here today Don't you think you…
Memories Round me at twilight come stealing Shadows of days that are…
Mighty Lak Sweetest little fellow, everybody knows; Don't know what to …
More Than You Know Whether you are here or yonder Whether you are false or…
My Blue Heaven Whippoorwills call, evenin' is nigh Hurry to my Blue Heaven …
My Gal Sal The bells are ringing for me and my gal. The birds…
My Love Belongs To Somebody Else When days are long and nights are lonely And all my…
My Mammy Everything is lovely When you start to roam; The birds are s…
My Old Kentucky Home The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home 'Tis summer,…
My Wild Irish Rose If you'll listen, I'll sing you a sweet little song, Of…
Near You There's just one place for me, near you It's like heaven…
Never Again The trouble with you is you gotta hole in the…
and many more tracks by Al Jolson.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Teddyb1939
I love this track,.A young sounding Al Jolson, haven`t heard him sounding so clear before , great stuff
shatinterry
A well kept version, had very good sound still..!!
alan bash
The King .
JosephDoesMore
what equipment or software did you use to record this?
CrystalClearNews
It sounds a like like Old Black Joe by Stephen Foster, Gone are the days, and other words used there, too.
CatsPjamas1
@Teddyb1939 Thanks so much for commenting! I love it too!
CatsPjamas1
@shatinterry Thanks for listening Terry!
CatsPjamas1
@nipsterstang You're welcome Jim!