Benton Overstreet - Musical Nomad By John Wilby of Bizness , which was registered on December 26, 1914. He joined comedian Billy King’s Stock Company in January 1914, [5] , and probably travelled with King’s company until early 1915. [6] He was music director for a show appearing at the Lyric Theater in Kansas City from May until at least July 1915. The orchestra was comprised of Overstreet (piano and leader), Joe Sudler (cornet), Chas. Washington (trombone), Geo. Wilks [Wilkson] (clarinet), Hamp Harper (violin) and Curtis Mosby (drums). [7] A report in the Indianapolis Freeman noted that, in addition to “his new composition, ‘My Place of Bizness,’” Overstreet “has others too numerous to mention, which he intends to put on the market soon.” [8] The Freeman subsequently reported that the team of Mills & Frisbee was singing his I Am Going Home at the Crown Garden Theater in Indianapolis in September 1915 and characterized the song as “one of Benton Overstreet’s late successes,” [9] an indication of his growing reputation as a composer. By October 1915 he had renewed his association with Billy King, appearing as part of King’s Stock Company in the show “Hearts of Men” at Chicago’s Grand Theater. [10] In March 1916, King’s company appeared at the Howard Theater in Washington, presenting the show “Neighbors” which featured Overstreet and King as two bickering neighbors. The Freeman reported that “King and Overstreet are natural Photo: Roger Misiewicz comedians and kept the house in a roar from start to finish,” [11] confirming that Overstreet’s talents as a performer William Benton Overstreet led a nomadic life working in went well beyond his musical and compositional vaudeville — from the heyday of the 1910s to the late 1920s contributions. By late April, King’s Company had returned to — and writing songs that spanned popular music, jazz and Chicago to present “The Last Rehearsal” at the Grand Theater, blues. His compositions, numbering more than fifty, included this one featuring three songs by Overstreet, New Dance There’ll Be Some Changes Made and A Jazz Holiday , both (later renamed The Jazz Dance ), Alabama Todelo (sic) and still recognized as standards in traditional jazz circles today. Hello Everybody .[12] Later in 1916 he served as music As a pianist, he led jazz bands in vaudeville throughout the director for two shows presented by King at Chicago’s Grand United States, accompanied singers on recordings for Theater, “A Mother-in-Law’s Disposition” and “Now I Am a Brunswick and Black Patti, and even participated in a “cutting Mason,” both featuring some Overstreet-King songs. [13] contest” witnessed by no less than Jelly Roll Morton. Yet he Another of King’s performers was the singer Estelle (or Estella remains a shadowy figure; an important composer in the or Stella) Harris, whom Overstreet married, probably late in history of jazz and popular music, but little known today. 1916 or early 1917. [14] Overstreet, an African-American, was born on April 3, 1888 in Atchison, Kansas, a small town on the Missouri River, approximately 50 miles northwest of Kansas City. Nothing is known of his early years, though they must have included musical studies as he was active leading bands and playing piano by the time he was in his early twenties. Pianist Norman (sometimes known as Norma) Thomas recalled in a letter to the Chicago Defender [1] that he first met Overstreet when the two were working with William McCabe’s Georgia Troubadours, a travelling variety troupe active from 1900 to at least 1913. A November 1910 report in the New York Age [2] noted that “Professors Norma Thomas and W.M. (sic) Overstreet” were the “kings of ivory manipulators” with the Richards and Pringles Minstrels, then appearing in Kansas, with William McCabe and Edna McCabe in the cast, as well as another Overstreet, Carrie, a dancer whose relationship to Benton is not known. By September 1911, both Overstreets were in Iowa with McCabe’s Georgia Troubadours, Benton as the troupe’s orchestra leader. [3] Overstreet continued to move around the country on his own, serving as music director for an ensemble at the Lincoln Theater in Galveston, Texas, in the summer of 1913, [4] and living in Mobile, Alabama, when he made his first submission The ‘new’ Grand Theater, South State Street, Chicago, a familiar to the Library of Congress for copyright protection, My Place venue to scores of early jazz and blues performers. 3 performed as a duo in Philadelphia; with the Defender reporting in July 1917 that they “were a real sensation at the Standard theater last week,” adding that “[Harris’] rendition of Overstreet’s new number ‘The Alabamalevi [Alabama Levi] Glide,’ was a near riot and called for so many encores that the show was virtually stopped. The act will open in New York soon, where they will feature the great hit, ‘The Jazz Dance.’” [26] It again is clear that other artists were by this time taking notice of Overstreet’s compositions; The Jazz Dance was recorded for Columbia by W.C. Handy’s orchestra in September, and by Blake’s Jazzone Orchestra in November 1917. In a letter to the Defender dated July 23, 1917 sent from the Howard Theater, Washington, DC, Overstreet reported that he was working on a play called “The Grocery Man,” and had completed the third of what he intended to be five acts. [27] The letter also revealed his wariness with respect to the music business, the result of seeing some of his work “used considerably without my permission,” and of being determined to keep his compositions “out of the hands of the music pirates.” He noted that “I have just received evidence that a certain one of my numbers was sold to an ‘Ofay [white] act.’” While 1917 was a busy year for Overstreet the composer, with five known songs, only one, The Jazz Dance , appears in the Library of Congress Catalogue of Copyright Mark Berresford Collection Entries. Another, On The Rockin’ Rosa Lee , was published by Frank Root of Chicago and recorded by two white artists, Jelly Roll Morton recalled hearing Overstreet at a “cutting” Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan, later that year; [28] contest in Chicago; while the date is uncertain, it probably perhaps this was the song sold to the “Ofay act” to which happened in 1915 or 1916. “Will Overstreet was a newcomer Overstreet had referred. in Chicago, coming with Billy King’s stock company. He was rated as a great pianist,” Morton wrote later, [15] Harris and Overstreet appeared at the Ivy Theater in substantiating Overstreet’s reputation among musicians, and Newport News, Virginia during December 1917 [29] and his fellow pianists in particular. Overstreet himself had January 1918 [30] . In 1918, Overstreet wrote That Alabama cryptically reported that he “was the originator of the long Jazbo Band , which was published by Will Rositer of Chicago. bass which was introduced in K.C. some years ago.” [16] By May 1919, he and Harris were in Philadelphia, where they Morton, however, was not impressed. “He was carved the appeared at the Standard Theater; [31] Overstreet was still first day he came in town by every decent pianist in town and there in September according to the Defender , which does reduced down to his natural size.” [17] not, however, mention Harris, [32] perhaps a sign that their partnership, both professional and personal, had ended Harris and Overstreet left Billy King’s company after the around this time. Indeed, in August 1920, the Defender summer season and were back at the Grand in early October announced that Overstreet, “leader of the Standard theater 1916, this time appearing in their own show, “Walking The orchestra of Philadelphia,” was to marry Miss Eva Walker “of Dog,” featuring the musical numbers Shima Sha Wabble the Mills & Frisby stock company” on September 1. [33] (Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble) , Don’t Leave Me, Daddy and Seven years later, the Defender reported that “Overstreet and Overstreet’s I Wonder If Your Loving Heart Still Pines for Me , Harris” were part of six “all-star acts” appearing in a Happy Shout and New Dance [18] . Columnist Bob Hayes, in vaudeville show held at the Washington Theater in a tribute to Harris following her death in 1934, noted that she Indianapolis during July 1927; [34] it is likely that this reunion “was at one time regarded as one of the greatest of our was a one-time event or, at best, short-lived. ragtime singers, a mode of singing that preceded the present day blues singers.” [19] For his part, Overstreet’s compositions During 1921 and 1922, Overstreet remained in from this period were very much popular songs and novelty Philadelphia, “still plunking along in the Old Quaker city,” as numbers appropriate to the vaudeville stages on which the he put it in letter to the Defender in 1921 .[35] By December bands he was leading regularly appeared. of that year he was directing the house orchestra at the Dunbar Theater there. [36] It was also during 1921 that he While Harris and Overstreet were at the Grand, another composed his most famous song, There’ll Be Some Changes company, led by Butler “String Beans” May and Baby Made , with fellow vaudevillian, the popular comedian Billy Benbow, were appearing at another Chicago venue, The Higgins, providing the lyrics. It was submitted to the Library Monogram. [20] By mid-October, the String Beans and of Congress on Overstreet’s behalf by Harry Pace of the Pace Benbow company was appearing at the Washington Theatre Phonograph Corp, producer of Black Swan records, on in Indianapolis.