Chauncey Olcott, born John Chancellor Olcott and often spelled Chauncey Alcott (July 21, 1858 – March 18, 1932), was an American stage actor, songwriter and singer of Irish descent.

Biography

He was born in Buffalo, New York. His mother, Margaret (née Doyle), was a native of Killeagh, County Cork. In the early years of his career Olcott sang in

minstrel shows The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...

, before studying singing in London during the 1880s.

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922) was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, praised for her beaut ...

played a major role in helping make him a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

star. When the producer Augustus Pitou approached him in 1893 to succeed William J. Scanlan as the leading tenor in sentimental operettas on Irish themes, Olcott accepted and performed pseudo-Irish roles for the remainder of his career. Olcott combined the roles of tenor, actor, lyricist and composer in many productions. He wrote the complete scores to Irish musicals such as ''Sweet Inniscara'' (1897), ''A Romance of Athlone'' (1899), ''Garrett O'Magh'' (1901), and ''Old Limerick Town'' (1902). For other productions he collaborated with Ernest R. Ball and George Graff in works such as ''The Irish Artist'' (1894), ''Barry of Ballymore'' (1910), ''Macushla'' (1912), and ''The Isle o' Dreams'' (1913). There are some 20 such works between 1894 and 1920. He was a good songwriter who captured the mood of his Irish-American audience by combining melodic and rhythmic phrases from traditional Irish music with melancholy sentiment. Some numbers from his musicals became popular, such as "My Wild Irish Rose" from ''A Romance of Athlone'', "Mother Machree" from ''Barry of Ballymore'', and " When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" from ''The Isle o' Dreams''. Sometimes he used tunes from others, such as that of the title song from ''Macushla'' from Irish composer Dermot Macmurrough (pseudonym of Harold R. White) or " Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral" by James Royce Shannon for his production ''Shameen Dhu'' (1914). In 1925, a serious illness forced him to retire, and he moved to Monte Carlo where he died of

pernicious anemia Pernicious anemia is a disease where not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, vitamin B12. Those affected often have a gradual onset. The most common initial symptoms are Fatigue, feeling tired and weak. Other ...

in 1932. His body was brought home and interred in the

Woodlawn Cemetery Woodlawn Cemetery is the name of several cemeteries, including: Canada * Woodlawn Cemetery (Saskatoon) * Woodlawn Cemetery (Nova Scotia) United States ''(by state then city or town)'' * Woodlawn Cemetery (Ocala, Florida), where Isaac Rice and fa ...

in The Bronx, New York City.

Legacy

Olcott's life story was told in the 1947

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

motion picture '' My Wild Irish Rose'' starring

Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner; December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one ob ...

as Olcott. The film's plot was based on the biography by Olcott's widow, Rita Olcott, ''Song in His Heart'' (1939)."The screen play was based on the story written by Chauncey's widow, Rita Olcott, in her book, "Song in My icHeart." (liner notes to 1947 RCA Victor album). In 1970, Olcott was posthumously inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...

References

External links

* * *
selected recordings of Chauncey OlcottChauncey Olcott
portraits; University of Washington, Sayre collection
Chauncey Olcott
portraits; NY Public Library, Billy Rose collection
Chauncey Olcott; PeriodPaper.com c. 1910
*
Chauncey Olcott, cover THE THEATRE magazine October 1905

Chauncey Olcott recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Olcott, Chauncey 1858 births 1932 deaths 20th-century American male actors Songwriters from New York (state) Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) American vaudeville performers American people of Irish descent Male actors from Buffalo, New York Singers from New York (state) Members of The Lambs Club

Biography

Legacy

Further reading

References

External links