Charles G. Widdén
| Charles G. Widdén | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Karl Gottfrid Widén September 21, 1874 |
| Died | October 9, 1933 (aged 59) New York City |
| Occupation | singer, comedian, juggler, chalk talker |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Steel |
Charles Godfrey Widdén (1874-1933) was a Swedish-born singer and comedian, who performed regularly in Worcester, Massachusetts and New York City during the years 1900 - 1920 and achieved national prominence through his numerous recordings.
A native of , Charles G. Widdén came to the United States in 1888 at the age of fourteen. He settled in Worcester, Massachusetts and in 1891 became an American citizen. In 1901 he married Alice Steel, with whom he had a daughter named Elsie. Although a well-known entertainer, Widdén was primarily employed in industrial and commercial occupations. Government and business records indicate that he was at different times a laborer, packer, machinist, foreman, wire tester and sign painter.
As a young man Widdén began working as a storyteller, juggler and chalk talker, and by 1910 he was a highly regarded bondkomiker (rustic comic).Bondkomik (rustic humor) was a popular form of entertainment in turn-of-the-century Sweden. It also had a large following among Swedish Americans. The rustic comic, often clad as a country bumpkin, assumed an alias to go along with his outlandish appearance. Widdén, for instance, sometimes went by the name of Olle ve Kvarna (Olle at the Mill). Hjalmar Peterson was another bondkomiker from Sweden, who was active at the same time and had a similar repertoire. Peterson was better known by his stage name of Olle i Skratthult (Olle from Laughtersville).
In 1916 Widdén moved from Worcester to New York City, where he was already a familiar figure in the Scandinavian community. Proximity to record companies there turned him into one of Swedish America's leading recording artists. He appeared at many types of events: choral concerts, theatrical productions, dances and even wrestling matches. Newspapers proclaimed him the foremost Swedish humorist in America and a noted provider of laughter throughout the land.
After 1920 Widdén made fewer recordings, and his final release came out in 1924. At the same time there were less frequent reports of his activities in the Swedish American press. The San Francisco weekly Vestkusten published word of his death in 1933: "Charles G. Widdén passed away on October 9th at Druskin Hospital in New York City at the age of fifty-nine. He was well known in New York and Worcester as a singer and comedian. The end came swiftly as a consequence of pneumonia. His nearest survivors are a wife and daughter."
...
Wikipedia