Billy O’Day was born April 1, 1852, in Brooklyn, N. Y.; that’s no joke.
The Reynolds Brothers were a well-known and popular song and dance team. As early as 1865 as the “Utica Boys” they were with Burgess, Prendergast, Hughes and Donniker’s Minstrels; the year following with Burgess and La Rue’s Minstrels.
They joined M. C. Campbell’s company in 1867, and subsequently appeared with Emerson and Manning’s; Emerson’s, and Arlington, Cotton and Kemble’s Minstrels; the latter in 1872. After the death of his brother Charles, George Reynolds appeared for a short time with Charley Cogill as Cogill and Reynolds.
Charles Reynolds was born in Utica, N. Y., in 1852; he died in San Francisco, Cal., January 7, 1878. George Reynolds died in New York City, March 4, 1895.
Tommy Turner (Trainor) was one of the Three Turner Brothers, and well known as a banjoist.
He was the husband of Lulu Francis, and had been in the profession about ten years prior to his death, which occurred in Leadville, Colo., May 31, 1879, at the age of 25 years. Mr. Turner was born in New York, September 29, 1854.
Fred Walz, during his comparatively brief career as a vocalist in minstrelsy, achieved distinction that has often been denied those of more mature years.
His first professional engagement was with Newcomb and Arlington’s Minstrels in 1871. In 1872 he was with Moran and Dixey’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and subsequently with Frank Moran’s Minstrels.
In 1873 he joined Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels for the season, also in the Quaker City. August 31, 1874, he became a member of Bryant’s Minstrels in New York, and continued with them until the death of Dan Bryant, April 10, 1875, when he almost immediately joined Emerson’s California Minstrels in Chicago, and continued with them several weeks.
Subsequently he became a member of Carncross and Dixey’s, and later Carncross’ Minstrels in Philadelphia, where he remained until his death.