This is Brian Marcus Decker and this is the Jolson Blog, this is the first blog dedicated to the life and musical influences of Al Jolson, the Worlds Greatest Entertainer and Friends.

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THIS WEEK

Interview Part IV: “When Jolson Was King” and Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge

Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge:

To win a FREE Al Jolson “The Singing Fool” color T-shirt answer the following question correctly:



Question:

Name the famous radio and TV personality that appeared with Al Jolson in “Hold Onto your Hats” as well as Eddie Cantor in “The Kid from Spain”?

Rules: Answers must be e-mailed to Brian@JolsonBlog.com, with “Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge” in the subject line. Two winners will be selected at random from correct responses and must be received by 12:00 noon (EST) Tuesday, June 13, 2006. Please include your full name and mailing address in your response. Only one response accepted per person per monthly Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge. These collector edition T-shirts, are provided by AffiniTee LLC, include a vintage color reproduction of a 1928 theatrical program promoting “The Singing Fool” feature film starring the legendary, Al Jolson.

Interview Part IV: “When Jolson Was King”

Brian Marcus Decker: Most people that I know who were born in the 50’s or even the early 60’s were generally more influenced by the Beatles or Bob Dylan, than Al Jolson.  What would you contribute this general interest and an ongoing enduring passion for Al Jolson 56 years after his death?

Richard Grudens: I think that I did not know anything about Al Jolson when I was a kid.  When the Jolson Story came out, I do not know why but I was compelled to go and see it.  I think my mother and father had liked him and had had some recordings.  I cannot really remember, but I do know that I went to see it at least 10 times.  I cut school to see it, I got off the subway to downtown Brooklyn and saw it as some obscure movie house and I loved it.  And, I was in the Boy Scouts, I blackened my face and sang and tried to perform like him.  He was electric.  He really was electric and it was contagious.  Bing Crosby sang sure in those days and everyone else. Perry Como was singing but Jolson had a vibration about him that was just uncanny.  I wasn’t the only one affected by it, millions were.   With counts in the Al Jolson Society with 1,000 or more members 55 years later, so he is electric if you like Jolson, you like music.  Sure, I like Frank Sinatra and yes, I like Big Crosby and yes, I even enjoy Perry Como, but Jolson is dramatically much better than all of them as far as his entertainment value.  He is just great.

Brian Marcus Decker: Richard, in your book you refer to Jolson as the greatest entertainer of the 20th century and the title, When Jolson was King is written in past tense.  Should we be reading anything into this? Is there anyone who you think should be a real contender for this heavyweight title of the Worlds Greatest Entertainer today?

Richard Grudens: I do not know of anyone.  Everyone else today is promoted and pushed.  They did not come up the hard way.  Well, maybe they did come up the hard way, but Jolson made his mark and first of all he was alone, he had no competition to speak of and yes, Bing Crosby was famous and so was all of these things we have been talking about, but I think that Al Jolson, it is hard to say.  He was the world’s greatest entertainer because he was the world’s greatest entertainer.  His shows sold out.  They ran long.  He was the highest paid.  First on the radio, first well he did not do much television, first in the movies, he conquered everything single handedly and without too much pushing or helping, he pushed himself along very, very nicely.  So, I do not think anyone competes with him.

Brian Marcus Decker: In an early chapter a Probable Interview with Al Jolson.  In this imaginary interview with the king of entertainment, Jolson refers to himself as a salesman of both songs and jokes and reveals many of his signature tricks or as we would like to say  “shtick” in Yiddish.  In fact it almost feels like an early TV reality show where the master magician explains the secret on how certain tricks were performed. Where did you get the idea to do this and did you have any concerns in how readers would react to this type of “artistic” license?

Richard Grudens: Well, it wasn’t artistic license.  What I did, I took an article written by Al Jolson himself. It is like Johnny Carson used to do. They used to hold that thing up to Karnac and he would give you the answers, no the questions.  Well, that is what I did; I cut his article up into little pieces so it really wasn’t artistic license.  It was actually words that Jolson said that I put instead of a narrative I put it as a question and answer.

Brian Marcus Decker: That is really interesting. 

Next week Interview Part V: “When Jolson Was King”

• From your perspective, what was it in his personality that made him an early and successful pioneer in all of these different entertainment mediums?

• Of all the legendary stories about Al Jolson, could you share with us one of your favorite stories about Jolie?

 For more information about, “When Jolson was King”, please visit www.RichardGruden.com 

This is Brian Marcus Decker and thank you for joining us on the Jolson Blog.  This is the first blog dedicated to the life and musical influences of Al Jolson, the Worlds Greatest Entertainer and Friends. Please visits again at www.JolsonBlog.com.