Home > U.S. Immigration and Migration > Al Jolson Biography

Born May 26, 1886

Seredzius, Lithuania

Died October 23, 1950

San Francisco, California

Vaudeville entertainer

"You think that's noise—you ain't heard nuttin' yet!"

Al Jolson was arguably the biggest star on Broadway in the early to mid-1900s, with a career that spanned four decades (1911–40). He starred in the first commercially successful "talking" movie (film with sound, as compared with the "silent" films in which all dialogue was printed on the screen), The Jazz Singer, in 1927, and that is the role for which he is best remembered. Jolson was the first Jewish star to publicly acknowledge his Jewish heritage. He is credited with almost single-handedly introducing African American music such as jazz and ragtime to white audiences. He was known in his day as "The World's Greatest Entertainer."

A young Russian Jew makes his way