Al Jolson

Asa Yoelson was born on May 26, 1886, in Seredžius, Lithuania, emigrating to the United States as a child where his father served as a cantor in Washington, D.C. Developing an electrifying, theatrical singing style, Jolson rose through minstrel shows and vaudeville to become the biggest Broadway star of the 1910s and 1920s, famous for falling to one knee and belting out songs with volcanic emotional intensity.

On October 6, 1927, Jolson changed the course of human culture when Warner Bros. premiered 'The Jazz Singer'. Uttering the historic impromptu line, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!', Jolson’s synchronized musical performances shattered the silent film era overnight, establishing sound as the mandatory future of cinema. Songs like 'Swanee', 'My Mammy', and 'Toot, Toot, Toosie (Goo' Bye)' sold millions of records.

Jolson was also a pioneer in advocating for Black musicians on Broadway, fighting against racial segregation by promoting the music of Duke Ellington and Harold Arlen. During World War II and the Korean War, Jolson performed tirelessly for Allied troops on front-line USO tours, collapsing and passing away from exhaustion on October 23, 1950, in San Francisco.