October
23, 1950
Al
Jolson Dies
Al Jolson, 64, American
musician once known as "The World's Greatest Actor", best known for
starring in the first sound film, The Jazz Singer. A month earlier, Jolson had
become the first major entertainer to travel to Korea to boost the morale of
U.S. soldiers there. Reportedly, Jolson was playing gin rummy with friends at
his suite at the Hotel St. Francis when he suffered his fatal heart attack.
In the 1930s he was
America's most famous and highest-paid entertainer. Between 1911 and 1928,
Jolson had nine sell-out Winter Garden shows in a row, more than 80 hit
records, and 16 national and international tours. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the
first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II. In 1950
he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean
War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. He died just weeks after returning to the
U.S.
He enjoyed performing in black-face makeup, a theatrical convention since the mid 19th century. With his
unique and dynamic style of singing black music, such as jazz and blues, he was
later credited with single-handedly introducing African-American music to white
audiences. As early as 1911 he became known for fighting against black
discrimination on Broadway.
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