He was born in Liverpool, England, January 12, 1844—and is not sorry.
Johnny Allen (George Erb) was an excellent comedian and dancer, and especially well remembered for his “Nicodemus Johnson,” a song and dance. His first appearance in black-face was in 1861. October 23, 1865 he joined Hooley’s Minstrels in Brooklyn, N. Y. March 5, 1866 he was at the opening of Seaver’s Minstrel Hall, same city, and October 1, he was also at the initial performance of Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels in New York; Emerson, Allen and Manning’s Minstrels gave their first performance in Brooklyn, N. Y., in June, 1868. Mr. Allen seceded from the organization May 22, following, and a month later helped to organize Allen and Sam Sharpley’s Minstrels.
Brooklyn, N. Y., also saw the first performance of Allen, Pettengill, Delehanty and Hengler’s Minstrels, September 22, 1869; a few months later it was Johnny Allen’s Minstrels. Mr. Allen next branched out as a German comedian in the play of “Schneider.” He continued alternately with this and minstrel engagements until the early 80’s; the first performance of “Schneider” was on March, 24, 1871. April 6, 1874, he opened with Hart and Ryman’s Minstrels and a few weeks later Johnny Allen’s Cosmopolitan Minstrels toured briefly. When Dan. Bryant died, April 10, 1875, Mr. Allen sat in the latter’s chair in New York, and when May 3, following, Neil Bryant’s Minstrels were organized, Johnny Allen was with them. September 18, 1876, he re-appeared with Kelly and Leon’s Minstrels in New York. Johnny Allen was born in Newark, N. J., April 20, 1844; he died there January 16, 1885.
Charley Sutton (Leman). This well-known performer of the past was a member of the “Young Campbell’s Minstrels,” a famous amateur organization of Boston, about 1860.
Mr. Sutton was a comedian of unquestionable ability, and had been with most of the prominent minstrel organizations of his time, notably Emerson’s Minstrels in San Francisco, later going to Australia with that company, opening at Melbourne, August 2, 1873. He was with Charley Morris’ Minstrels in 1877, and afterwards with Hooley’s.
He sailed for Europe April 24, 1880, and joined Moore and Burgess’ Minstrels, in London, and remained there for some time. About 1885 he became one of the team of Bunth and Rudd, doing a grotesque act in white-face; he was thereafter known as Hugo Bunth.
Charles Sutton was born in Boston, Mass., in 1844; he died in Moscow, Russia, January 27, 1904.
Billy Wild, the old-time black-face performer, made his first professional appearance at the Bella Union Theatre, San Francisco, about 1866, doing a black-face song and dance. In 1871 he was with Unsworth’s Minstrels. Later he formed a partnership with Charley Armstrong; they played an engagement with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels about 1873, in Philadelphia.
Mr. Wild’s last black face appearance was at the Howard Athenæum, in Boston, in 1886. Billy Wild was born in New York, January 21, 1844.
Neil Rogers, a capable and clever comedian, and a brother of Stevie Rogers, had a comparatively brief career as a minstrel.