George Dewey Washington

George Dewey Washington (1898-1954) was an American singer active in vaudeville and motion pictures from the 1920s through the 1940s. He was a baritone or bass-baritone who often appeared on stage in the guise of "The Gentleman Tramp". He was sometimes compared to Al Jolson.

Before he became a professional entertainer, Washington worked as a waiter in railroad dining cars, often singing amid noises of the train.[1]

Washington appeared in a number of short films for M-G-M and Paramount Pictures from 1928-1932, the early years of "talkies", including some of M-G-M's first musical shorts. At one point, he played three weeks in a row at the Paramount Theatre on Broadway. He was described at the time as a "hot favorite" with a "sympathetic voice [that] goes straight to the heart" and that is "well adapted for the talkies".[2][3]

In 1933, Washington performed on Broadway in Strike Me Pink,[4] which was "staged as an epic review of black history.[5] Night clubs in which Washington performed include the California Theatre Club in San Francisco[6] and the Club Casino in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[7] He also appeared on the bill with films in theaters including the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles.[8]

Washington performed for the fifth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on July 10, 1949. He was featured along with Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra, Jimmy Witherspoon, Buddy Banks and his Orchestra and Big Jay McNeely.[9]

Discography

Washington recorded a number of 10-inch discs for Columbia Records between 1928 and 1930, all as a soloist with an orchestra or ensemble, including:[10]

  • The Spell of the Blues
  • The Sun is at My Window (Throwing Kisses at Me)
  • I'll Never Ask for More
  • Lonely Vagabond
  • Poor Punchinello
  • (Step by Step — Mile by Mile) I'm Marching Home to You
  • High Water
  • Dreary Night
  • Signs of the Highway
  • The Fool's Parade

References
  1. "Jeers Failed to Discomfit Singer". The Minneapolis Star. Minnesota, Minneapolis. March 8, 1930. p. 31. Retrieved February 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. African American Films Through 1959: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography, Larry Richards. Jefferson, North Carolina and London: McFarland & Company (1998), pp. 66-67, 127-128, 144. ISBN 0-7864-2274-2
  3. The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931, Edwin M. Bradley. Jefferson, North Carolina and London: McFarland & Company (2005), pp. 55-56, 212, 216-217. ISBN 978-0-7864-4319-2
  4. "George Dewey Washington". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. Mordden, Ethan (2015). Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4668-9347-4. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. Pepin, Elizabeth; Watts, Lewis (2006). Harlem of the West: The San Francisco Fillmore Jazz Era. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-4548-9. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  7. "Singer Opens". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. April 24, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved February 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Colored Basso Stays on Bill". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. March 6, 1929. p. 35. Retrieved February 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Reed, Tom. (1992). The Black music history of Los Angeles, its roots : 50 years in Black music : a classical pictorial history of Los Angeles Black music of the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's : photographic essays that define the people, the artistry and their contributions to the wonderful world of entertainment (1st, limited ed.). Los Angeles: Black Accent on L.A. Press. ISBN 096329086X. OCLC 28801394.
  10. "George Dewey Washington (vocalist : baritone vocal)". Discography of American Historical Recordings. University of California at Santa Barbara Library. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.


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