John Russell was born in New York City August 19, 1854.
James Russell was born in New York City October 26, 1859.
Hyde And Behman, whose theatre in Brooklyn, N. Y., for many years played all the prominent black-face, as well as other luminaries, were the proprietors and managers of a first-class minstrel organization bearing their names in 1885.
Richard Hyde was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., May 22, 1849.
Louis Behman was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 4, 1855; he died there, February 27, 1902.
Frank C. Geyer, an excellent acrobatic song and dance man, made his first professional appearance at Deagle’s Varieties, St. Louis, Mo.; shortly after this he formed a partnership with George A. Turner and Billy Mendel, being known as the Big 3; Mendel soon dropped out, and the team was known as Geyer and Turner, and as such continued for several years, finally separating. Mr. Geyer then allied himself with James B. Mackie, and as Geyer and Mackie they continued giving black-face specialties; subsequently the team was known as Geyer and Sylvester, and Geyer and Lord.
He managed the opera house at Bellaire, Ohio, several years.
Mr. Geyer’s first wife was Amy Nelson, a prima donna, with whom he was professionally associated a considerable period; subsequently he married Mamie Forrest, of the Forrest Sisters; they played the principal variety houses.
He traveled with O’Brien’s Circus for two years; and was one of the three Geyer Brothers—Frank, Charles and Albert; an odd coincidence concerning the latter was that for a brief period he did a black-face song and dance act with Frank Turner, of the Three Turner Brothers, known as Turner and Geyer; in one case a Turner was associated with one of the Three Geyer Brothers; in the other a Geyer worked with one of the Three Turner Brothers; the two Turners were not related.
Frank C. Geyer was born in Newark, N. J., September 5, 1855; he died at Lexington, Mo., June 4, 1900.