Stevie Rogers was born in Elmira, N. Y., December 11, 1853; he died in New York City, March 3, 1876.
Andy McKee first appeared professionally in 1865 at Cairo, Illinois.
Mr. McKee’s success was so pronounced with his eccentric dancing, that he had little trouble in obtaining other variety engagements in Memphis, New Orleans, Cincinnati and St. Louis.
In 1867 he played his first minstrel engagement with Skiff and Gaylord; other prominent engagements were with Hooley, and with Simmons and Slocum. Later he joined Manning’s Minstrels, and subsequently met and joined forces with Stevie Rogers.
After the death of the latter he went to Europe with Hall’s New York Minstrels, playing Scotland and Ireland; subsequently re-organizing with Lew Simmons and Charley Sutton, they went to South Africa, opening at Cape Town, March 17, 1879; thus preceding Colonel Roosevelt in the exploration of that country just thirty years. Afterwards Mr. McKee formed a partnership with John F. Byrne, of the Brothers Byrne.
And here’s two more little items. After Stevie Rogers’ death, Mr. McKee doubled with Charley Walters for a brief season, opening at the Olympic Theatre, New York, August 28, 1876, and—that same year at the Globe Theatre, also same city, Mr. McKee created the character of Cy. Prime, in “Josh Whitcomb;” the latter subsequently evolutioned into the “Old Homestead.”
Andy McKee was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, May 11, 1844; and is now a citizen of Seattle, Washington.
George Wilson. Few monologue performers have worn so well with the public as George Wilson, whose minstrel career began about forty years ago in San Francisco, as co-proprietor of Courtright (Billy), Farren (T. S.) and Wilson’s Minstrels; Mr. Wilson was the song and dance performer with this company.
It was not until the fall of 1871 that he decided to adopt minstrelsy as a regular profession, which he did in Chicago.
Mr. Wilson’s talents must have been thoroughly appreciated, for when later he accepted an engagement of four weeks at the Theatre Comique, in Detroit, his success was so pronounced that he remained nine months.