Author: Dixon, George Washington
Biography:
DIXON, George Washington (1801?-61: ANBO)
A pioneer of blackface minstrelsy, he came from obscure origins and died in a charity hospital. Following an apprenticeship in a circus, he found success as a singer of popular songs on the stage, touring as "the American boffo singer": his one freestanding literary publication is a collection of songs. His stage career peaked about 1834 but he continued to perform into the 1840s. At the same time, he pursued a career as a crusading newspaper editor, with short-lived periodicals in Connecticut and Massachusetts before he settled in New York with the weekly Polyanthos--a project that won him some triumphs but also brought lawsuits, prison sentences, and public flogging. He never married. After he left New York in the mid-40s, he sought adventure in Mexico and elsewhere, ending up in poverty in New Orleans. (ANBO 27 Dec. 2019; Appleton) HJ
Other Names:
- Mr. Dixon