45 Facts About Bert Williams

Bert Williams was a Bahamian-born American entertainer, one of the pre-eminent entertainers of the vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time.

Bert Williams was a key figure in the development of African-American entertainment.

Bert Williams was born in Nassau, The Bahamas, on November 12,1874, to Frederick Bert Williams Jr.

At the age of either 2 or 3, Bert Williams permanently emigrated with his parents to the US.

The sharp-featured and slender Walker eventually developed a persona as a strutting dandy, while the stocky Bert Williams played the languorous oaf.

Bert Williams made his first recordings in 1896, but none are known to survive.

Camille Forbes wrote, "They called into question the possible realness of blackface performers who only emphasized their artificiality by recourse to burnt cork; after all, Bert Williams did not really need the burnt cork to be Black," despite his lighter skin complexion.

Bert Williams would pull on a wig full of kinky hair to help conceal his wavy hair.

Bert Williams headed off in a fortunate direction, but Walker was yanked from a streetcar by a white mob and was beaten.

In February 1906, Abyssinia, with a score co-written by Bert Williams, premiered at the Majestic Theater.

Bert Williams committed many of Abyssinias songs to disc and cylinder.

Bert Williams became so identified with the song that he was obliged to sing it in almost every appearance for the rest of his life.

Bert Williams' languorous, drawling delivery would become the primary selling point of several similarly structured Bert Williams recordings, such as "Constantly" and "I'm Neutral".

Bandanna Land continued the duo's series of hits and introduced a tour de force sketch that soon Bert Williams made famous: his pantomime poker game.

In total silence, Bert Williams acted out a hand of poker, with only his facial expressions and body language conveying the dealer's up-and-down emotions as he considered his hand, reacted to the unseen actions of his invisible opponents, and weighed the pros and cons of raising or calling the bet.

Bert Williams's new act consisted of several songs, comic monologues in dialect, and a concluding dance.

Bert Williams received top billing and a high salary, but the White Rats of America, an organization of vaudevillians opposed to encroachments from Blacks and women, intimidated the theater managers into reducing Williams' billing.

The brash Walker would have resisted such an insult to his star status, but the more reserved Bert Williams did not protest.

Bert Williams next starred as Mr Lode of Koal, a farce about a kidnapped king that was well received by critics as a star vehicle, although it did not have a fully realized storyline.

Camille Forbes in Introducing Bert Williams collects several reviews that express competing race-based agendas.

Bert Williams returned for the 1911 edition of the Ziegfeld Follies, teaming up in some sketches with the comedian Leon Errol to ecstatic effect.

Bert Williams reprised his poker routine, and popularized a song called "Woodman, Spare That Tree".

Also notable was the relative equality of the duo in their sketches, with Bert Williams delivering most of the punchlines and generally getting the better of Errol.

Bert Williams continued as the featured star of the Follies, signing a three-year contract that paid him an annual salary of $62,400, equivalent to $1.5 million today.

Bert Williams continued to make several more recording dates for Columbia, though he stopped writing his own songs by 1915.

Bert Williams began making film appearances, though most have been lost.

Bert Williams did not appear in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1913, instead taking part in an all-Black revue of The Frogs, a Negro theatrical organization that had been founded in 1908 by George Walker.

In 1918, Bert Williams went on a hiatus from the Follies, citing the show's difficulty in providing him with quality parts and sketches.

Bert Williams returned to the Follies of 1919, but was saddled with sub-par material, including a supporting part in a minstrel show segment.

At a time when 10,000 sales was considered a very successful major label release, Bert Williams had four songs that shipped between 180,000 and 250,000 copies in 1920 alone.

Bert Williams continued to face institutional racism, but due to his success and popularity, he was in a better position to deal with it.

Bert Williams' response was to produce a thick roll of hundred dollar bills out of his pocket; placing the wad on the bar, he ordered a round for everyone in the room.

Bert Williams's name was enough to open a show, but they had shorter, less profitable runs.

Bert Williams still got good reviews, but the show did not.

Bert Williams developed pneumonia, but did not want to miss performances, knowing that he was the only thing keeping an otherwise moribund musical alive at the box office.

However, Bert Williams emotionally suffered from the racial politics of the era, and did not feel fully accepted.

Bert Williams experienced almost chronic depression in his later years, coupled with alcoholism and insomnia.

On February 27,1922, Bert Williams collapsed during a performance in Detroit, Michigan, which the audience initially thought was a comic bit.

Bert Williams died at his home, 2309 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, on March 4,1922, at the age of 47.

Bert Williams was the first Black American to be so honored by the all-white Grand Lodge.

Bert Williams was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

Bert Williams has smiled his way into people's hearts; I have been obliged to fight my way.

Bert Williams reprised Williams' high-kick dance steps, to such classic vaudeville standards as "Waitin' for the Robert E Lee".

In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Bert Williams was named in his honor.

In 1996, Bert Williams was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame.