Bob Cole (composer)

Robert Allen Cole Jr. (July 1, 1868 – August 2, 1911[1]) was an American composer, actor, and playwright who produced and directed stage shows.

The composer was born in Athens, Georgia, where his father (Robert Allen Cole, Sr.) and mother (Isabella Thomas Weldon) settled after the freedom of blacks through the Emancipation Proclamation.

Although Athens, Georgia, was shattered by the war in the South and the racist environment of Southern society at the time, it became a prosperous city with prominent African American families; barbers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, and other sorts of community professionals were black.

At fifteen years of age, Bob had a violent confrontation with the son of the mayor of Athens, and had to flee the town to live with distant relatives, of his mother's side, in Florida.

Instead of enrolling in a college, Bob found a job at the Atlanta University, which became his approximation of the student experience – from the interview from his sister, he was able to gain a vast amount of knowledge due to his knowledge-packed environment.

His interest towards vaudeville plays and the later black musical genre (including “coon songs”) originated from his work with his peer Lew Henry, who was also an amateur showman.

After his failed attempt in the field of vaudeville acting, Cole traveled to New York, preeminent area for novice actors in pursuit of theater or anything related to the theatrical genres, and formed an alliance with Pete Staples, who was well known in his performance as a mandolinist.

Although Cole seemed to be focused on the comedic and buffoonish aspect of African-American theater and acting, he did not submit to the norm of being involved in so-called “medicine shows” or the circus, unlike his predecessors.

His rising soon allowed further opportunities to flow in; for instance, he was soon hired as a comedian by the white entrepreneur, Sam T. Jack, who created the Creole Show.

By moving away from traditional minstrel shows, Sam T. Jack's production was predominantly influenced by the styles of vaudeville (with more focus on the beauty and exotic aspects of showgirls), reviving the cakewalk and adding fancy steps.

His success in the Creole Show, indicated by his popularity amongst his audience that resulted in a promotion, led him to create his own stage character, which he would carry on for another seven years: Willy Wayside, the red-whiskered hobo.

Cole also managed his own Troubadour show in which he starred as Willy Wayside (in this case, his character was the tramp) in the musical At Jolly Coon-ey Island and performed a routine with Stella Wiley.

Although Cole became the top performer amongst his peers, his significant contributions to the Troubadours did not result in higher pay, and he left the company, taking away his own written scripts and songs.

The musical, consisting of only black actors and revolving around the traditional minstrel stereotypes, delved into the story of a con artist, Jimmy Flimflammer, and his failed attempts to rob an elderly man of his pension.

However, although Cole's previous scorned image was extinguished with the help of Klaw and Erlanger, Black Patti's Troubadours still attempted to ruin his career by directly competing with his own production company.

[clarification needed] However, there were few evidence that proved that Cole and Johnson discovered the unscrupulous ruse of their competitors and avoided the confrontation altogether by destroying their booking contract with Michael Levitt.

Cole's company faced several trials, including quarrels over finances and transportation; also, the competition of the Black Patti organization was a constant battle.

As a result, the cooperation of the two (Cole and Johnson) led to the creation of high-class vaudeville acts that incorporated elegance and sophistication, all of which were executed in evening dresses.

Although exteriorly, Cole appeared to be a carefree showman whose only purpose was to be famous in black minstrelsy and vaudeville plays, he organized his shows very meticulously and placed much thought in every detail and aspect of his productions.

Also, deviating from the traditional “coon songs,” the humor in Cole and Johnson's works were more humane – they did not include the usual racial commentaries and African-American stereotyping.