William J. Flannery (May 1, 1869 – February 1, 1950) was a vaudeville comedian and minstrel show performer. He also sang in operettas and musical comedies.[1] He was a member of the National Variety Artists. He went by the stage name of Billy Gould.[2]

Biography

He was born as William J. Flannery in 1869 in New York City, New York.[2] His parents were migrants from Ireland. He made his stage debut at age 15 in 1884 in Billy Emerson's Minstrels in San Francisco, California. In New York City he played in comedies with Fay Templeton, Kate Castelton, and Verna Jarbeau. He appeared in The Belle of New York in 1897 as Count Patsi Rattatoo. He appeared in Pretty Mrs. Smith (musical) in 1914. He then appeared in The New Yorkers (musical).[1]

He married Nellie Marietta Burt on March 24, 1889, in Hurley, Wisconsin, and they formed an act.[3] Their act consisted of flirtatious dialogue.[4]

Early in his career, Gould performed with the Charles Red organization and the Emerson Minstrels in San Francisco. He was known as a singer, performing what a 1910 newspaper article described as "English character songs".[5]

Gould was active in vaudeville, having a single act until he discovered actress Valeska Surratt, whom he married in 1904. They joined forces to form "William Gould and Valeska Surratt", a partnership act that performed across the United States and in England and South Africa.[6] They created an act where she performed exotic dances, including the Apache dance. They divorced in 1911 and she married Fletcher Norton.[2]

Gould then teamed up with Ashley to form Gould and Ashley.[1]

He died on February 1, 1950, in New York City.[1]

Broadway

  • The Belle of New York (1897) as Count Patsi Rattatoo
  • Pretty Mrs. Smith (musical) (1914)
  • The New Yorkers (musical)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Billy Gould Dies At 81. Comedian Had a Long Career in Minstrel Shows, Vaudeville". The New York Times. February 2, 1950. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
  2. 1 2 3 "Valeska Suratt". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
  3. ↑ Le Roy Rice, E. (1911). "Billy Gould (William J. Flannery)". Monarchs of minstrelsy, from "Daddy" Rice to date. ISBN 9785871153987.
  4. ↑ Frank Cullen; Florence Hackman & Donald McNeilly (2004). "Billy Gould". Vaudeville Old & New: An encyclopedia of variety performances. ISBN 9780415938532.
  5. ↑ "William Gould Does Many Things Besides Singing Songs". Star Tribune. Minnesota, Minneapolis. May 15, 1910. p. 25. Retrieved December 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ Briscoe, Johnson (1907). The Actors' Birthday Book: An Authoritative Insight Into the Lives of the Men and Women of the Stage Born Between January 1 and December 31. Moffat, Yard. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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