J. Hurley died in New York, July 22, 1886.
Billy Marr was born in New York; he died in Brooklyn, N. Y., December 13, 1892; age 40 years.
James Holly, of the once well-known and favorite black-face song and dance team of Homer and Holly, died in Memphis, Tenn., January 17, 1891; age 40 years.
Carroll Johnson (James Carroll) is one of the foremost living minstrels, and is justly entitled to the appellation “Beau Brummell” of minstrelsy; his costumes and acting as the dandy darky, making him a likely prototype in black of that famous personage.
Mr. Johnson’s theatrical career began at the Bowery Theatre in New York, about 1866, doing a singing and dancing specialty.
He played the usual variety engagements until November 1, 1869, on which date he joined Newcomb’s Minstrels in Washington, D. C. The following year, September 5, he formed a partnership with George Powers, doing a high kicking song and dance, starting with Hooley’s Minstrels in Brooklyn, N. Y.; when that company opened in Chicago, January 2, 1871, Mr. Johnson was with them, and continued for several months.
August 26, 1872, he opened with Birch, Wambold and Backus’ Minstrels in New York, and except during the season of 1874-75, when he was with Carncross and Dixey’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, he was with them until 1882.
In the Summer of 1880 he played a brief engagement with Moore and Burgess’ Minstrels in London, England. Subsequently he played engagements with Courtright and Hawkin’s Minstrels, in Philadelphia; Emerson’s, in San Francisco, and Haverly’s in Chicago; it was here in the Summer of 1883 that Johnson and Powers dissolved partnership. Mr. Johnson later played with Haverly, in Europe, after which he returned to America, and with Charley Reed gave a fine minstrel performance in San Francisco, opening August, 1884, and remaining until July following.
On July 30, 1885, he became one of the proprietors of McNish, Johnson and Slavin’s Minstrels, opening on that date at Paterson, N. J.; the organization was in existence for three seasons. Johnson and Slavin’s Minstrels took the road in 1888; the partnership was dissolved in June, 1889.
September 9, following, Mr. Johnson began a starring tour in white face, appearing in “The Fairy’s Well”; he was with this company two seasons, and the next two years in “The Gossoon,” and the “Irish Statesman” respectively.