Who was Al Jolson? He was the most successful entertainer in the US in the 1930s. With his movies and songs, like The Jazz Singer and Swanee River, he became known and loved for his singing, dancing, acting, and work in blackface. Curiously, he was white, Jewish, an immigrant from Lithuania, and the son of a rabbi. He cared deeply for African American music and musicians, fought against racial discrimination, and led the way for many black performers, like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
Who was Al Jolson? He was the most successful entertainer in the US in the 1930s. With his movies and songs, like The Jazz Singer and Swanee River, he became known and loved for his singing, dancing, acting, and work in blackface. Curiously, he was white, Jewish, an immigrant from Lithuania, and the son of a rabbi. He cared deeply for African American music and musicians, fought against racial discrimination, and led the way for many black performers, like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.