Harry Clinton Browne (August 18, 1878 â€" November 15, 1954) was an
American banjo player and actor. He appeared on stage and in silent
films and recorded for Columbia Records in the 1910s and 1920s.Browne
was born in 1878 in North Adams, Massachusetts. Before his acting
career, he served in the Second Massachusetts U.S. Volunteers during
the Spanishâ€"American War and had a brief career campaigning for the
Democratic Party. In fact, William Jennings Bryan, then the Secretary
of State, offered Browne a diplomatic position in February 1914 but
the latter declined. Browne later worked for a stock company as an
actor, casting him in plays such as Arizona and Rebecca of Sunnybrook
Farm in the early 1900s.A skilled banjo player, Browne performed in
vaudeville for seven years before recording a series of songs for
Columbia Records, starting in 1916. His first record, perhaps his most
well-known, is a re-interpretation of the American folk song "Turkey
in the Straw". Released in March 1916, Browne appropriated the
standard as a coon song re-titled "Nigger Love a Watermelon Ha! Ha!
Ha!". It is commonly referred to as one of the most racist songs in
American music: the song relied heavily on the watermelon stereotype,
a belief popularized in the 19th century that African-Americans had an
unusual appetite for watermelons. For the B-side, Browne chose to
record the minstrel show favorite "Old Dan Tucker", marking the tune's
first commercial appearance on a major label.Between 1906 and 1925,
Browne appeared in at least 14 Broadway shows, including Oh, Lady!
Lady!!. His film debut is believed to have been in August 1914 with
the release of The Eagle's Mate. During his acting career, Browne had
roles in notable films such as The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch, The Heart of
Jennifer, and Closed Doors. Afterwards, he worked as an announcer and
production director for CBS radio, a position he resigned from in
1931.
American banjo player and actor. He appeared on stage and in silent
films and recorded for Columbia Records in the 1910s and 1920s.Browne
was born in 1878 in North Adams, Massachusetts. Before his acting
career, he served in the Second Massachusetts U.S. Volunteers during
the Spanishâ€"American War and had a brief career campaigning for the
Democratic Party. In fact, William Jennings Bryan, then the Secretary
of State, offered Browne a diplomatic position in February 1914 but
the latter declined. Browne later worked for a stock company as an
actor, casting him in plays such as Arizona and Rebecca of Sunnybrook
Farm in the early 1900s.A skilled banjo player, Browne performed in
vaudeville for seven years before recording a series of songs for
Columbia Records, starting in 1916. His first record, perhaps his most
well-known, is a re-interpretation of the American folk song "Turkey
in the Straw". Released in March 1916, Browne appropriated the
standard as a coon song re-titled "Nigger Love a Watermelon Ha! Ha!
Ha!". It is commonly referred to as one of the most racist songs in
American music: the song relied heavily on the watermelon stereotype,
a belief popularized in the 19th century that African-Americans had an
unusual appetite for watermelons. For the B-side, Browne chose to
record the minstrel show favorite "Old Dan Tucker", marking the tune's
first commercial appearance on a major label.Between 1906 and 1925,
Browne appeared in at least 14 Broadway shows, including Oh, Lady!
Lady!!. His film debut is believed to have been in August 1914 with
the release of The Eagle's Mate. During his acting career, Browne had
roles in notable films such as The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch, The Heart of
Jennifer, and Closed Doors. Afterwards, he worked as an announcer and
production director for CBS radio, a position he resigned from in
1931.
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