A JAZZ LEGEND IS BORN

ERNEST HOGAN was born in 1865 in the Shake Rag District of Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was the first Black entertainer to produce and star in a Broadway show (The Oyster Man in 1907), and helped to create the musical genre of RAGTIME.  In 1895  he published several songs in this new genre, one of which included "All Coons Look Alike To Me."

The success of this last song created many derogatory imitations, known as "coon songs," because of their use  of racist and stereotypical images of Black people. Before his death. Hogan stated that he "regretted" using the racial slur in his song.



To read his bio and success story GOOGLE his name.