By: Rememba Matthew
In 1901, Bert Williams and George Walker recorded their music for the Victor Talking Machine Company, becoming the first black recording artists.
They also performed the first black musical comedy (titled In Dahomey) on Broadway.
After Walker’s death, Williams became a star in his own right, with Theatre Magazine calling him “a vastly funnier man than any white comedian now on the American stage.”
He became the first black actor to appear in a movie while writing, directing and starring in the 1916 films, A Natural Born Gambler and Fish. He was so popular he even performed for King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace.
Although he managed to break down barriers, much prejudice remained. He couldn’t reconcile the praise he received onstage with the racist treatment he received offstage.
Barred from joining the Actors Equity in New York, he became depressed and drank heavily. He performed the song, “Nobody,” later covered by artists from Nina Simone to Johnny Cash. W.C. Fields called Williams “the funniest man I ever saw and the saddest man I ever knew.”
He never missed a performance and on February 25, 1922, collapsed halfway through an evening show in Chicago. He died a week later at his home in New York City. He was only 47
Source:www.wassamaninsider.com
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