Join Dan Henderson as he presents his newest book, Rhythm & Pep!
Two Clarinda, Iowa, boys, Earl and Carl Pearson, left their father's coal mining operation in 1915 to strike out on their own and start a vaudeville act. They practiced their routine in an old barn near the Shenandoah depot, and by 1916, they performed their first show in the Essex, Iowa, Opera House. Little did they know how far they would go.
By 1920, the two brothers, along with Earl's wife, Cleo Newport, were performing at the Palace Theatre in New York on the Big Time vaudeville circuit, and later they performed in Washington, D.C., for President Woodrow Wilson. They became famous in the vaudeville world.
Dan will give a short overview of their career and the cultural background of the vaudeville industry in the 1920s as it was being overtaken by other entertainment mediums such as talking movies and radio.
Daniel Henderson, who is the author of a new book about them, hails from Council Bluffs and is related to the Pearsons. He inherited the scrapbook that Earl Pearson put together to document their career and success. This story has never been shared with the broader public until now. He will provide a book talk on both the career of the Pearson Brothers and the cultural history of that entertainment industry.
Books will be on sale along with an author signing.
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