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.
Chicago
Al Jolson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had to stop and stare
I saw a man dancing with his own wife
And you'll never guess where
Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin' town, that toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago, I'll show you around, I love it
Betcha bottom dollar you'll lose your blues
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down
On State Street, that great street
I just want to stay, I just want to stay
They do things they don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time, the time of their life
I saw a man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago
Free and easy town, brassy, breezy town
Chicago, Chicago
Let me cool my heels right down at Marshall Field
Come and walk with
Along the lake, to the drake
Hollar and hoot, all through the loop
Shout out now to Mrs. O'Leary's cow
No she-she, life is peachy
Chicago, we'll meet at the Pump Room Ambassador East
To say the least
On shishkabob and breast of squab we will feed and get free
Don't tell me sin is rampid and right
Think of that man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago,
I feel sympathy for that wonderful, windy town!
In the song "Chicago" by Al Jolson, the singer describes his love for the vibrant city of Chicago. In the first verse, the singer is surprised to see a man dancing with his wife in an unexpected location, which highlights the joy and spontaneity of the city. The chorus celebrates the energy and excitement of Chicago, describing it as a "toddlin' town" that Billy Sunday, a famous evangelist known for his efforts to shut down saloons and promote temperance, could not stop.
The second verse highlights the unique character of Chicago's State Street, where people do things they wouldn't do on Broadway. The singer witnesses a man dancing with his wife once again, emphasizing the happiness and connection that can be found in the city. The chorus repeats, affirming the singer's love for Chicago as a "free and easy town" that is full of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the surprise, the surprise of my life
I was shocked beyond my wildest imagination
I had to stop and stare
I was frozen by the sight before me and couldn't look away
I saw a man dancing with his own wife
A man was joyfully dancing with his wedded partner
And you'll never guess where
The location of this occurrence is beyond your imagination
Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin' town, that toddlin' town
Ah, the city of Chicago, bustling with activity
Chicago, Chicago, I'll show you around, I love it
Let me be your guide, I'm enamored with this place
Betcha bottom dollar you'll lose your blues
I bet you everything you have that you'll feel great here
In Chicago, Chicago, the town that Billy Sunday could not shut down
Not even famed religious preacher Billy Sunday could stop the liveliness of this city
On State Street, that great street
The magnificent State Street impresses me
I just want to stay, I just want to stay
I wish to remain here forever
They do things they don't do on Broadway, say
A variety of unique activities happen here that even Broadway doesn't host
They have the time, the time of their life
Everyone seems to be having the greatest time
I saw a man who danced with his wife
I witnessed a truly happy couple dancing together
In Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago
Ah, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago!
Free and easy town, brassy, breezy town
This free-spirited city is bold and refreshing
Chicago, Chicago
Oh, Chicago!
Let me cool my heels right down at Marshall Field
I'll take a break at Marshall Field and relax for a bit
Come and walk with
Won't you stroll with me?
Along the lake, to the drake
We'll walk by the lake to the Drake Hotel
Hollar and hoot, all through the loop
We can shout with glee all around the loop
Shout out now to Mrs. O'Leary's cow
Let's remember the historical event with Mrs. O'Leary's famous bovine!
No she-she, life is peachy
No need for pretentiousness, life here is amazing
Chicago, we'll meet at the Pump Room Ambassador East
We'll rendezvous at the Pump Room Ambassador East
To say the least
At the very least
On shishkabob and breast of squab we will feed and get free
We'll feast on shishkabob and breast of squab and it won't cost us anything
Don't tell me sin is rampid and right
I won't believe anyone who tries to claim that sin is rampant and accepted here
Think of that man who danced with his wife
Remember that happy man I saw dancing with his spouse
In Chicago, Chicago
Ah, Chicago, Chicago!
I feel sympathy for that wonderful, windy town!
I have a great deal of admiration and understanding for this amazing, blustery city!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Fisher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ed Campbell
My dad’s favorite song. He played this record almost every night when I was a kid. Thanks for posting this
Red Vynil
Does ANYBODY have a clue when this was recorded and what the label and record number is?????
Sam
I found the exact date!! It's from a February 26, 1948.
https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/variety/kraft-music-hall/kraft-music-hall-48-02-26-first-song-chicago-guest-david-niven (The song starts at 1:35.)
james chatterton
From his radio broadcast of the 40's and then an LP with Oscar Levant.