Cal Stewart

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Cal Stewart around 1900

Cal Stewart (born 1856 in Charlotte County , Virginia , † December 7, 1919 ) was an American pioneer in vaudeville and early sound recording . He is best known for the role of "Uncle Josh" Weathersby , a resident of the fictional town of Punkin Center in New England .

life and career

Born in Charlotte County, Virginia in 1856, Cal Stewart spent his early years working in circuses , medicine shows, and as a vaudeville . At the same time he also developed the role of Uncle Josh Weathersby from Way Down East . It was also during this time that he befriended Mark Twain and later Will Rogers on the street . Around 1897, after he had already worked with Berlin Gramophone , among others , he was hired by Edison Studios to have some of his famous speeches and songs recorded on the phonograph cylinder for Thomas Edison's phonograph . These were very well received by the public, after which a whole series was produced based on the character of Uncle Josh . Cal Stewart's trademark here was always his easily recognizable laugh at the beginning of his speeches or songs. The best-selling recordings, with which he already reached an audience of millions during this period, included Uncle Josh's Arrival in New York in 1898, I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough (Laughing Song) from 1998, Jim Lawson's Horse Trade with Deacon Witherspoon from 1901, Uncle Josh's Huskin 'Bee Dance from 1901 or Uncle Josh Buys to automobiles by 1903. subsequently, Stewart continued his shots at the Edison Studios, Columbia Records , the Victor Talking Machine Company and other independent labels continue before he died on December 7, 1919 at the age of around 63.

At Columbia Record he signed a three-year contract in late 1903 and returned to Victor in late 1906, with whom he had already been under contract. In 1908 he returned to Edison Studios. After some internal discussions and negotiations, he signed a new contract with Edison Studios on May 16, 1911, where he should receive half a cent per recording, but only on the condition that Edison Studios signed him for five years. It was also contractually agreed that Stewart had to record at least four acceptable titles annually, which Stewart did not meet. It was not until May 1915 that Cal Stewart began producing acceptable recordings, when the studios were already trying to terminate the contract. Stewart was back with Columbia Records on June 2, 1915, a year before the official end of his ongoing contract with Edison Studios. Shortly afterwards, he was again freelance looking for independent labels. Over the years he also wrote two books based on his monologues and also appeared regularly in theaters across the country, where he was often supported by his wife, brother and sister. In 2007, a collection entitled Actionable Offenses: Indecent Phonograph Recordings from the 1890s was published, which also recognizes Cal Stewart's works.

Web links

Footnotes & individual references

  1. ↑ Actionable Offenses: Indecent Phonograph Recordings from the 1890s , accessed August 30, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Stewart, Cal
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pioneer in vaudeville and early sound recording
DATE OF BIRTH 1856
PLACE OF BIRTH Charlotte County , Virginia , United States
DATE OF DEATH December 7, 1919