S.H. Dudley
PerformerName
S.H. Dudley
About
Sherman Houston Dudley was a Black vaudeville performer, theater owner, and circuit manager. He was a successful performer and composer of ragtime music and coon songs, rising to fame as the lead in the well-known Smart Set. After years of performing, Dudley leveraged his fame and resources to get into the business side of the entertainment industry. He supported other Black artists through unions and developed his own theater circuit for Black performers. The popular S.H. Dudley circuit was very successful and supported by the Black press, and formed the foundation for the expansion of the national T.O.B.A. circuit in the 1920s.
Role(s)
Performer
Composer
Promoter
Birth date
1872
Death date
March 4, 1940
Related Pages
Genre
Sherman Houston Dudley was a Black vaudeville performer, theater owner, and circuit manager. He was a successful performer and composer of ragtime music and coon songs, rising to fame as the lead in the well-known Smart Set. After years of performing, Dudley leveraged his fame and resources to get into the business side of the entertainment industry. He supported other Black artists through unions and developed his own theater circuit for Black performers. The popular S.H. Dudley circuit was very successful and supported by the Black press, and formed the foundation for the expansion of the national T.O.B.A. circuit in the 1920s.
