Edwin Pearce Christy (November 28, 1815 – May 21, 1862) was an American composer, singer, actor and stage producer. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday He is more commonly known as E. P. Christy, and was the founder of the blackface minstrel group Christy's Minstrels. Blackface in the narrow sense is a style of theatrical Makeup that originated in the United The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing, and Music, Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a Blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer
Background
Christy was born in Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə He began his career as a minstrel in Buffalo, New York, and toured upstate New York from 1843 to 1845. minstrel was a medieval European Bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories about distant places or about real or imaginary historical events Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The group took the name of its founder and became known as the Christy's Minstrels. Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a Blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer In April 1846 Christy and his band of six performers began performing in New York City at Palmo's Opera House. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display The City of New York The group performed at Mechanics Hall from February 15, 1847 to July 15, 1854. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year After performing at a benefit performance for Stephen Foster in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 25, 1847, the group specialized in performances of Foster's works. Stephen Collins Foster (July 4 1826 – January 13 1864 known as the "father of American music" was the pre-eminent Songwriter in the United States Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Foster sold his song, Old Folks at Home, to Christy for his exclusive use. (Christy is played by Al Jolson in the Foster bio-pic Swannee River, 1939. Al Jolson (May 26 1886 October 23 1950 born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer comedian and actor and the first openly )
Christy retired as a performer in 1855 but continued as a manager. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year He operated a chain of theaters called Christy's Opera Houses in several cities. The name of the original group, Christy's Minstrels, was licensed for use by a new organization and became synonymous with the performance tradition of blackface minstrelsy. Fearful of financial reverses due to the upheaval of the American Civil War, Christy committed suicide by throwing himself from a window in his New York City house on May 21, 1862. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South
References
- Edwin Pearce Christy, at the University of Pennsylvania site. Accessed 6 Sept 2005.
- Lott, Eric (1993). Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509641-X. . p. 171.
- NYNY 1861 - 1864
External links
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