Then came a season with Fred Wilson’s (his brother) Minstrels in St. Louis; by this time his fame had reached Jack Haverly, who engaged Mr. Wilson for his company; this was at Kansas City, Mo., in November, 1873; he remained under the Haverly banner until August, 1877, when in conjunction with Milt. Barlow, George H. Primrose and William H. West, the big company bearing their names gave their first performance, August 20, same year.
Barlow, Wilson, Primrose and West’s was one of the greatest minstrel companies that ever performed; the dissolution of this alliance occurred in the summer of 1882.
Thereafter Mr. Wilson and Milt. Barlow organized Barlow, Wilson and Co.’s Minstrels; subsequently Barlow, Wilson and Rankin’s, and lastly George Wilson’s Minstrels, which were instituted in 1888; the final performance of the latter was at Danbury, Conn., February, 1892.
Subsequently Mr. Wilson played under the management of Primrose and West for a period of about five years; one season, 1894, he appeared in white-face, as well as black, in the musical play of “Monte Carlo.”
In the summer of 1898, Mr. Wilson, in conjunction with W. S. Cleveland, organized the Wilson-Cleveland Minstrels; this was his last minstrel venture; since then he has played vaudeville exclusively, until the Spring of 1910, when he joined George Primrose’s Minstrels for a few weeks. August 15, same year, he played his first engagement in his native city at The Empire.
Mr. Wilson may justly look with pride on his long career as a black-face star.
George Wilson was born in London, England, September 28, 1844.
Hi Henry (Hiram Patrick Henry). For three decades Hi Henry’s Minstrels have been an institution that has been known nearly all over the United States.
Mr. Henry is an accomplished cornettist, and before he entered the ranks of minstrel proprietors, he was many years in the dramatic business, notably as leader of the band with the Wallace Sisters combination in 1872.
On May 4, 1875, he joined Sam Price’s Minstrels, and in September, 1879, the first performance of Hi Henry’s Minstrels was given, and barring the season of 1889-90, when he directed a tour of Estelle Clayton’s, the company has made an annual tour ever since.