About Billy Golden
Lived 1858 – 1926 (aged 67). Billy Golden was an American entertainer and comedian.
William Benjamin Shires (June 9, 1858 – January 29, 1926), who performed and recorded as Billy Golden, was an American blackface comic, actor, and singer who was a popular recording artist between the 1890s and the 1910s.
Biography He was born on June 9, 1858 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to John Shires and Elizabeth Rust. He was raised in St Louis, Missouri. He began performing as a blackface act in vaudeville in 1874 before working as a duo with, first, John Merritt, and then Billy Draiton. He originated a dance move known as the "cane pat" which became popular with blackface minstrels, and, as part of Bailess and Kennedy's "Brightlights" vaudeville act, became particularly associated with the song "Turkey in the Straw". In 1885, he started performing in a duo with his wife, May Golden.
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Important facts
People in Billy Golden's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Billy Golden's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Billy Golden?
American blackface entertainer and comic
When was Billy Golden born?
Billy Golden was born on 9 June 1858 in Cincinnati.
When did Billy Golden die?
Billy Golden died on 29 January 1926 in New York City, New York.
What was Billy Golden's occupation?
Billy Golden was an entertainer and comedian.
What nationality was Billy Golden?
Billy Golden was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Billy Golden. https://biography.guide/billy-golden/
MLA: "Billy Golden." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/billy-golden/.
Chicago: "Billy Golden." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/billy-golden/.
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