Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike)
Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) 14 June 1895 - 21 July 1971
Cliff Edwards (aka Ukulele Ike) was an American singer, actor and ukulele player. Born in Hannibal, Missouri he began his career as a musician by performing in silent film theatres as a teenager in St. Louis. Edwards took advantage of the widespread popularity of the ukulele and learned to play the instrument as an easy way to accompany himself during these performances. In the 1920s Edwards moved to New York where he was a successful Broadway and vaudeville performer. He also recorded several songs during this time. Edwards is well known for the film The Hollywood Review of 1929, his first ever film, in which he introduced the song “Singin’ in the Rain.” After the 1920s Edwards became significantly less popular as his vocal style and solo ukulele accompaniment both fell out of style. During this period he suffered financial problems and alcohol abuse. However, Edwards did not fall into obscurity. He worked for Walt Disney Productions on two different films as Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio (1940) and Jim Crow in Dumbo (1941). Edwards’s performance of “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio was used as Disney’s theme song for many years.
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. "Edwards, Cliff." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 21 Nov. 2017. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2240777.