Recently, I introduced you to the late Fr. John Seary, O.S.A. - he had a sister Catherine who had a lovely cultured voice and she teamed with her friend Tilly on piano and they joined a vaudeville tour riding the rails - unchaperoned - thru the small towns of America. This didn't last long and they both found other pursuits. Tilly landed in a music store in midtown Manhattan playing piano from sheet music which was how you sold songs as many homes had pianos as the central source of entertainment. One day her store manager came to her and said "There is a Broadway entertainer staying at the Biltmore Hotel and he needs an accompanist to rehearse, so hurry over there - they are expecting you," The entertainer turned out to be Al Jolson at the peak of his career- Oh Mammy!
Tilly married my friend Stew T. and their house parties were lots of fun - with Tilly tickling the ivories and Stew doing his Ted Lewis imitation of "Me and my shadow" as he strutted across the floor.
One night I jumped in behind him with my collar up as his shadow. It was all impromptu and in the long ago.
teejay8232@aol.com
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