Stars of Vaudeville # 541: Robert Wilcox Bigelow

Songwriter Robert Wilcox Bigelow (1890-1965) got his start in vaudeville as one half of the team Bigelow and Campell, which toured the circuits from 1909 through 1923. Then, for three years he was accompanist to Texas Guinan. His most famous song (co-written with others in 1924) is “Hard-Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah).” Here is a swell version recorded by Belle Baker:

To find out more about the variety arts past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold. And don’t miss Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, to be released by Bear Manor Media in 2013.