Eddie Leonard (October 17, 1870 â€" July 29, 1941), born Lemuel Golden
Toney, was a vaudevillian and a man considered the greatest American
minstrel of his day, at a time when minstrel shows were an acceptable
and popular mainstream entertainment in the United States. He was
called "last of the great minstrels" in his 1941 obituary in Time. He
performed in vaudeville for 45 years before that medium faded in the
1920s, and was known for such songs as "Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider" and
"Roly Boly Eyes". He published his memoir titled What a Life I'm
Telling You in 1934.
Toney, was a vaudevillian and a man considered the greatest American
minstrel of his day, at a time when minstrel shows were an acceptable
and popular mainstream entertainment in the United States. He was
called "last of the great minstrels" in his 1941 obituary in Time. He
performed in vaudeville for 45 years before that medium faded in the
1920s, and was known for such songs as "Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider" and
"Roly Boly Eyes". He published his memoir titled What a Life I'm
Telling You in 1934.
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