Wilmoth Houdini
Wilmoth Houdini | |
---|---|
Colony of Trinidad and Tobago | |
Died | August 6, 1973 New York City | (aged 77)
Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | vocals |
Frederick Wilmoth Hendricks (November 25, 1895 – August 6, 1973), best known as Wilmoth Houdini, was a prominent calypsonian.
Life
In 1916 he started his career in earnest when he began working with the African Millionaires, a large carnival group consisting of about 25 members. He arrived in
After moving to New York (as one of the earliest Trinidadian émigrés), he was often the object of derision by the calypsonians still in Trinidad, who claimed that he was stealing their ideas and capitalizing on them in the USA. This can be seen in numerous calypsos of the early to mid-1930s, from
Houdini died on August 6, 1973, in New York City, where he had lived for most his life. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.
Influence
His song "Uncle Joe", although melodically not original, had a huge influence upon the American psyche, influencing
Sources
Cowley, John (1984). "Wilmoth Houdini: Poor but Ambitious", in Calypso Classics from Trinidad CD liner notes, pp. 2–5. El Cerrito, California: Arhoolie Productions.
External links
Media related to Wilmoth Houdini at Wikimedia Commons
See also