Notable people · Entertainment
Ted Lewis
Born Theodore Friedman in Circleville; clarinetist, bandleader and vaudeville star with the catchphrase 'Is everybody happy?' who was a top-paid entertainer in the 1920s. Buried at Forest Cemetery in Circleville; the Ted Lewis Museum opened there in 1977.
At a glance
- Born
- 1890-06-06
- Died
- 1971-08-25
- Known as
- Entertainment
- Organizations
- Ted Lewis Band
Life story
Theodore Leopold Friedman was born in Circleville in 1890; his father ran Friedman's Bazaar, a ladies' discount store. As a boy he rode a streetcar to Chillicothe to play in the high school band.
He first recorded in 1917 with Earl Fuller's Jazz Band, learned clarinet technique from New Orleans players and led his own band by 1919. He starred in The Greenwich Village Follies of 1919.
His band competed with Paul Whiteman's and hired Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey. His 1932 recording 'In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town' topped radio polls for ten weeks. He wore a battered top hat, carried a cane and asked, 'Is everybody happy?'
He married ballerina Adah Becker in 1915 and stayed married 56 years. He died in 1971, and his body went back to Circleville. Adah opened the Ted Lewis Museum there in 1977.
Timeline
- 1890-06-06: Born in Circleville (Circleville, OH) source
- 1915: Marries Adah Becker (New York, NY) source
- 1917: First recordings with Earl Fuller's band (New York, NY) source
- 1919: Leads his own band; Greenwich Village Follies of 1919 (New York, NY) source
- 1929: Show of Shows and Is Everybody Happy? (Hollywood, CA) source
- 1932: In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town tops polls for ten weeks (US) source
- 1971-08-25: Dies; buried in Circleville (New York, NY) source
- 1977: Ted Lewis Museum opens (Circleville, OH) source
What Ted is known for
- Catchphrase 'Is everybody happy?'
- Bandleader and clarinetist, 1920s-1960s
- Is Everybody Happy? (1929, 1941, 1943 films)
- In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town (1932)
Honors and things named for them
- Ohio Historical Marker 4-65, Ted Lewis Park
Family
- wife: Adah Becker
- father: Benjamin Friedman
Places in Ohio to see
- Ted Lewis Museum (museum)
Circleville, Pickaway County ZIP 43113 (approximate) · Circleville · Pickaway County · official page - Ted Lewis Park historical marker 4-65 (marker)
Circleville, Pickaway County ZIP 43113 (approximate) · Circleville · Pickaway County - Forest Cemetery (grave)
Circleville, Pickaway County ZIP 43113 (approximate) · Circleville · Pickaway County
Ohio places
Where Ted Lewis was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Circleville, Pickaway County ZIP 43113 · Circleville · Pickaway County
- Buried: Forest Cemetery, Circleville, Pickaway County ZIP 43113 · Pickaway County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Ted Lewis (Wikipedia) born Circleville 1890-06-06; died NYC 1971-08-25; buried Forest Cemetery; museum 1977; Ohio marker in Ted Lewis Park