Butler May
Butler May | |
|---|---|
Butler and Sweetie May | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Butler May Jr. |
| Also known as | String Beans "The Elgin Movements Man" |
| Born | August 18, 1894 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 1917 (aged 23) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Vaudeville, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Entertainer, comedian, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1909–1917 |
| Formerly of | Will Benbow Sweetie May Butterbeans and Susie |
Butler "String Beans" May (August 18, 1894 – November 17, 1917) was an American vaudeville performer, singer, pianist and comedian. He has been described as "the greatest attraction in African-American vaudeville, the first recognizable blues star," and was known "for his streetwise humor, contortive vernacular dancing, and outrageous blues piano playing." He was said to have been the highest-paid black entertainer in the country at the time of his accidental death at the age of 23, and has been claimed as "the model for Jelly Roll [Morton], at least as a stage entertainer and perhaps even as a blues pianist". No recordings of May exist.