Al Jolson

Al Jolson was born in 1886 in what is now Lithuania and grew up in Washington, D.C., becoming one of the most popular American entertainers of the early twentieth century. He worked in vaudeville before moving to Broadway and then Hollywood, building his reputation as a singer and stage performer with a style that connected easily with large audiences. He is closely tied to the early sound era of film, particularly the musical stage and motion pictures from before World War I through the 1940s.