Charley Howard has been given credit of being the first to represent the aged darkey on the stage. At the age of ten years he traveled with Joe Sweeney’s company, giving concerts in the Southern States, appearing in barns and churches, and traveling by coaches.
Mr. Howard was with many prominent minstrel organizations, and when Haverly separated from Cal. Wagner in 1873, Howard was one of the first engaged for the Haverly Minstrels.
Charley Howard was born in Virginia, June 5, 1826; He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., April 28, 1895.
Stephen Collins Foster, whose simple and homely ballads contributed as much as any other cause to the placing of early minstrelsy on a permanent and successful basis, was the author, among others, of “Willie, We Have Missed You”, “Old Uncle Ned”, “My Old Kentucky Home”, “Old Dog Tray”, “Massa’s in de Cold, Cold Ground”, “Ellen Bayne” and “Old Black Joe.”
He was born in Allegheny, Pa., July 4, 1826; he died in New York City, January 13, 1864.
James Powers was one of the real early minstrels, and a member of the Boston Harmoneons, which were especially well known in Massachusetts. With his brother John, he was with the above organization several seasons, commencing in the early 40’s.
Mr. Powers was the author of “She Sleeps in the Grave” and “Faded Flowers”, favorite ballads of days now forgotten.
James Powers died in Boston, Mass., January 5, 1890; age 64 years.
Dan Leon, a real old-time black-face comedian and general performer, died in New York City, April 27, 1863; he was born March 1, 1826.
W. Jackson Rudolph, one of the pioneers of minstrelsy, made his first appearance in his native city early in 1846 in black-face as a banjoist; the following year he was one of the Sable Harmonists; in 1849 he was with the Virginia Minstrels, and up until 1855, when he joined Sanford’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, he was almost continuously associated with one or the other of the many minstrel bands that were then in evidence.