Aubrey Lyles
Encyclopedia
Aubrey Lyles was an African American
songwriter, lyricist, and vaudeville
performer, appearing with F. E. Miller
as Miller and Lyles. He attended Fisk University
as a medical student, and met Miller there in 1906.
From 1906 to 1909, Miller and Lyles performed with the "Pekin Theater Stock Company" in Chicago
(the first black legitimate theater in the U.S.) with other stock company members such as Harry Lawrence Freeman
. Miller and Lyles then performed on the vaudeville
circuit for many years. In 1915, they appeared in André Charlot
's production Charlot's Revue in England, and upon their return to the U.S., appeared in Darkydom with Abbie Mitchell
.
In 1921, Lyles and Miller wrote the book for Shuffle Along
, a Broadway musical with music by Eubie Blake
and lyrics by Noble Sissle
. Also in 1921, Orlando Kellum made a short film with Miller and Lyles performing their song "De Ducks" in Kellum's short-lived Photokinema
sound-on-disc
process.
Miller and Lyles worked on another Broadway production was Runnin' Wild (1923). Lyles broke up the act in 1929, but they reunited briefly in 1932, trying to put together a new show Shuffle Along of 1933.
Lyles died on 28 July 1932 of pulmonary tuberculosis
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
songwriter, lyricist, and vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer, appearing with F. E. Miller
F. E. Miller
Flournoy Earkin Miller was an African American composer, singer, writer, and actor who appeared in vaudeville with Aubrey Lyles as Miller and Lyles....
as Miller and Lyles. He attended Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
as a medical student, and met Miller there in 1906.
From 1906 to 1909, Miller and Lyles performed with the "Pekin Theater Stock Company" in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(the first black legitimate theater in the U.S.) with other stock company members such as Harry Lawrence Freeman
Harry Lawrence Freeman
Harry Lawrence Freeman was a United States opera composer, conductor, impresario and teacher...
. Miller and Lyles then performed on the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit for many years. In 1915, they appeared in André Charlot
André Charlot
André Eugene Maurice Charlot was a French impresario known primarily for the highly successful musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937...
's production Charlot's Revue in England, and upon their return to the U.S., appeared in Darkydom with Abbie Mitchell
Abbie Mitchell
Abriea "Abbie" Mitchell , also billed as Abbey Mitchell, was an American soprano opera singer who sang the role of "Clara" in the premier production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in 1935....
.
In 1921, Lyles and Miller wrote the book for Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along
Shuffle Along is the first major successful African American musical. Written by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, with music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1921.-Plot:...
, a Broadway musical with music by Eubie Blake
Eubie Blake
James Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
and lyrics by Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle
Noble Sissle was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright.-Early life:...
. Also in 1921, Orlando Kellum made a short film with Miller and Lyles performing their song "De Ducks" in Kellum's short-lived Photokinema
Photokinema
Photo-Kinema was a sound-on-disc system for motion pictures invented by Orlando Kellum.-1921 introduction:The system was first used for a small number of short films, mostly made in 1921...
sound-on-disc
Sound-on-disc
The term Sound-on-disc refers to a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or playback sound in sync with a motion picture...
process.
Miller and Lyles worked on another Broadway production was Runnin' Wild (1923). Lyles broke up the act in 1929, but they reunited briefly in 1932, trying to put together a new show Shuffle Along of 1933.
Lyles died on 28 July 1932 of pulmonary tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.