Jack Benny born Benjamin Kubelsky ; February 14, β December 26, was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing the violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with a highly popular comedic career in radio, television, and film.
He was known for his comic timing and the ability to cause laughter with a long pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated summation " Well! His radio and television programs, popular from until his death in , were a major influence on the sitcom genre. Benny portrayed himself as a miser who obliviously played his violin badly and claimed perpetually to be 39 years of age. Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky [ 2 ] on February 14, in Chicago, and grew up in nearby Waukegan.
At his father's behest, Benny began taking violin lessons at the age of six and was soon considered to be a child prodigy. He loved the instrument but hated to practice. His music teacher was Otto Graham Sr. At 14, Benny was playing in dance bands and his high school orchestra. He was a dreamer and poor at his studies, ultimately getting expelled from high school.
He later did poorly in business school and in attempts to join his father's business. That same year, Benny was playing in the same theater as the young Marx Brothers. Minnie , their mother, enjoyed Benny's violin playing and invited him to accompany her boys in their act.
Benny's parents refused to let their son go on the road at 17, but it was the beginning of his long friendship with the Marx Brothers, especially Zeppo Marx. The next year, Benny formed a vaudeville musical duo with pianist Cora Folsom Salisbury , who needed a partner for her act. This angered famous violinist Jan Kubelik , who feared that the young vaudevillian with a similar name would damage his reputation. Under legal pressure, Benjamin Kubelsky agreed to change his name to Ben K. Benny, sometimes spelled Bennie.
