The Museum of Performance + Design presents The Music of Bert Williams, an in-person and online exhibit that explores the musical works of the legendary entertainer Ebgert “Bert” Austin Williams (1874-1922). The exhibit takes visitors on a sonic journey through Williams' career, showcasing the museum's collection of his sheet music and photographs, along with a selection of original recordings of some of Williams' most well-known hits. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the mind of a true pioneer of the American entertainment industry who broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of artists. Through his music and comedic performances, William's humor, wit, and social commentary continue to resonate today. 

 Born in the Bahamas in 1874, Williams overcame significant obstacles to become one of the most successful African American performers of his time. As a child, Williams emigrated to Riverside, California with his family. It is thought that he may be one of the first people of African descent to attend Stanford University, although there is very little available information about his time as a college student. His earliest years as a performer were spent in San Francisco where he would meet his future collaborator and business partner, George Walker. Together, they would form one of the top vaudeville acts in American history, establishing their own company, Williams and Walker Co., and go on to create the first all-black Broadway production, In Dahomey, which premiered on February 18, 1903.

Williams also became a successful recording artist, recording fourteen songs with George Walker for the Victor Talking Machine Company, and creating an extensive catalog with Columbia Records as a solo artist. After Walker’s untimely death in 1911 at the age of 37, caused by complications due to syphilis, Williams struck out on his own, going on to become a well-regarded and popular performer with the Ziegfeld Follies.  

Throughout his career, Williams was faced with the insurmountable force of American racism, a force that shaped his choices to perform in blackface, adopting stereotypical racial depictions that were a common feature of minstrel shows during this time period. Despite the societal limitations forced upon Williams and Walker, they did attempt to push against the confines of typical minstrel conventions, often invoking universal experiences that audiences of all colors could relate to. In an essay on Williams and Walker for the Library of Congress, Professor David Suissman states: 

“Williams and Walker sought to use commercial popular entertainment as a means to improve conditions for African Americans. On one level, they created employment opportunities by hiring as many black performers and songwriters as they could, and they prided themselves on their large payroll. On another level, they aimed to tweak the popular music idiom of the day—which was dominated by a derogatory genre known as “coon songs”—to render such songs either benign or ironic. They wanted to show it was possible to sing songs about black characters without resorting to the most violent and vicious stereotypes (e.g., fighting with razors, stealing chickens, etc.). In this way, they saw themselves not just as entertainers but also as part of a vanguard fighting to bring about positive social change.” 

Known for his extraordinary talent as a comedian, singer, and songwriter, Williams became one of the most celebrated stars of the vaudeville era. In 1922 at the age of 47, Williams passed away after a bout of pneumonia. His public funeral in New York City was attended by thousands of mourners and even in death he broke yet another barrier, becoming the first African American to have a funeral held at an all-white Masonic Lodge. His legacy was thoughtfully articulated by W. E. B. duBois as follows: 

“When in the calm afterday of thought and struggle to racial peace we look back to pay tribute to those who helped the most, we shall single out for highest praise those who made the world laugh; Bob Cole, Ernest Hogan, George Walker, and above all, Bert Williams. For this was not mere laughing; it was the smile that hovered above blood and tragedy; the light mask of happiness that hid breaking hearts and bitter souls. This is the top of bravery; the finest thing in service. May the world long honor the undying fame of Bert Williams as a great comedian, a great negro, a great man”.