Biography
Al Jolson — singer ("the jazz singer") with roots in the Russian Empire
Al Jolson (1886–1950) rose from Jewish immigrant obscurity to dominate American popular entertainment as a singer, comedian, and Broadway headliner. His starring role in The Jazz Singer (1927) made him the face of the sound film revolution.
"Asa Yoelson emigrated from Seredžius, Russian Empire, to Washington D.C. circa 1894."
Migration storyRussian Connection
Tracing the roots — Srednik (Lithuania)
Born Asa Yoelson in Seredžius, then Russian Empire Lithuania, Jolson emigrated with his cantor father Moses around 1894. The synagogue-trained voice and immigrant hunger for reinvention that defined his art were forged in the Pale of Settlement.
Family Tree
Subject
Al Jolson🇺🇸 USA
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Self (Born there)
Asa Yoelson
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Origin
Srednik (Lithuania)🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Srednik (Lithuania). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Starred in The Jazz Singer (1927), the first feature-length sound film
02
Headlined Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre for over a decade
03
Recorded 'Swanee,' 'Mammy,' and 'Toot Toot Tootsie' as era-defining hits
04
Pioneered the one-man Broadway revue format
05
Voted the greatest entertainer of the 20th century in multiple contemporary polls
Sources