Jolson Family History & Genealogy

Harry Jolson was born on January 12, 1882 in Seredžius, Tauragė County Lithuania, and died at age 71 years old on April 26, 1953 in Los Angeles, California United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Harry Jolson.

Frank Jolson of Glendale, Los Angeles County, California was born on August 14, 1885, and died at age 81 years old in October 1966.

Carl Jolson of Blooming Prairie, Steele County, Minnesota was born on November 23, 1885, and died at age 82 years old in January 1968.

Al Jolson was a Lithuanian-born U.S. singer, songwriter and actor who performed in vaudeville and minstrel shows and best known for his role in "The Jazz Singer". He was born on May 26, 1886, in Srednike, Lithuania and made his first stage appearance 1899 in Washington, D.C., performing in vaudeville before joining a minstrel show in 1909. In New York City, he was featured in musicals and known for his high-energy act. In 1927, Jolson starred in The Jazz Singer, the first feature film with synchronized speech. He died in California in 1950. His family immigrated to the United States when he was 7 years old, and Jolson and his three older siblings were raised in Washington, D.C. At a young age, Jolson began singing and dancing on the streets for money. Frustrated by his cantankerous relationship with his father, a conservative Rabbi, Al and his brother, Harry, changed their last name to "Jolson" and moved to New York City, soon beginning a vaudeville act together. Jolson began performing on stage in 1899 and, a decade later, he joined a minstrel troupe. A few years later, he began performing his own act in San Francisco, California. Jolson starred in multiple New York musicals, including Sinbad (1918). The musical included the George Gershwin song "Swanee," which became Jolson's hallmark song. In 1921, he introduced the song "My Mammy" to the public via the show Bombo. Jolson's records sold millions of copies. (Today doing anything in blackface is considered racist and hostile. So his stage work was stained by controversy, as Jolson frequently wore blackface on stage. His vaudeville act became known for its use of dark facial makeup and white gloves. While critics saw Jolson as a racist egomaniac, others maintained that his fame was well-deserved, thanks to his enthusiastic stage presence. His performances were marked by interaction with the audience, fervent gesturing and vibrating his voice. Jolson was so beloved by audiences that New York City's Imperial Theatre was named after him in 1921. Jolson's most famous performance came in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, the first feature in history to include synchronized speech. The film marked the end of the silent movie age and began Jolson's film career. Though he was middle-aged and not the most talented actor, Jolson's singing made him a magnetic movie star. He went on to appear in films such as The Singing Fool (1928) and Swanee River (1940), and provided the voiceover for a movie based on his life entitled The Jolson Story (1946). Personal Life and Legacy Jolson married four times and had three adopted children. He was very supportive of American troops, performing for soldiers in World War II and the Korean War. He died of a heart attack in San Francisco on October 23, 1950. His gravesite in Los Angeles' Hillside Memorial Park features a large monument to his career, a life-sized statue of Jolson genuflecting as if he just finished a performance. The announcement of his death came over the radio on my and my twin brother's birthday. My older brother and my mother and my twin and I cried.

Lola Jolson of Brooklyn, Kings County, NY was born on August 24, 1891, and died at age 90 years old in January 1982.

Elsie Jolson of California was born on January 18, 1892, and died at age 72 years old in December 1964.

George Jolson of Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland was born on March 7, 1892, and died at age 83 years old in May 1975.

Edwin Jolson of Austin, Mower County, Minnesota was born on March 31, 1893, and died at age 81 years old in March 1975.

Maurice Jolson of Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland was born on April 1, 1894, and died at age 92 years old in August 1986.

Rose Jolson of Bethpage, Nassau County, NY was born on February 28, 1896, and died at age 80 years old in May 1976.

Bess Jolson of Baltimore, Baltimore City County, Maryland was born on October 15, 1896, and died at age 78 years old in July 1975.

Oscar Jolson of Ellendale, Steele County, Minnesota was born on August 16, 1897, and died at age 73 years old in May 1971.