Shelton Brooks
Canadian-born African American composer of popular music and jazz
About Shelton Brooks
Lived 1886 – 1975 (aged 89). Shelton Brooks was a Canadian singer, composer, jazz musician, pianist, songwriter and stage actor.
Shelton Brooks (May 4, 1886 – September 6, 1975) was a Canadian-born American composer and performer of popular music and jazz. He was known for his ragtime and vaudeville style, and wrote some of the biggest hits of the first third of the 20th century; including "Some of These Days" and "At the Darktown Strutters' Ball". He composed "Some of These Days" at the Pekin Theatre.
Early life and education Brooks was born in Amherstburg, Canada in 1886. His father was a preacher, and Brooks taught himself music on their church's pump organ. His family moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1901 and that was where Brooks first made a name for himself in music and comedy. Tucker adopted it as her theme song, and performed it regularly for the next 55 years.
He starred in several 1920s musical comedies. He appeared in the cast of Lew Leslie's Plantation Revue, which was opened in 1922. 1919 "Jean" (popularized by Isham Jones) 1919 "Tell Me Why You Want to Go to Paree (You Can Get the Same Sweet Loving Here at Home)"
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Important facts
People in Shelton Brooks's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Shelton Brooks's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Shelton Brooks?
Canadian-born African American composer of popular music and jazz
When was Shelton Brooks born?
Shelton Brooks was born on 4 May 1886 in Amherstburg.
When did Shelton Brooks die?
Shelton Brooks died on 6 September 1975 in Los Angeles.
What was Shelton Brooks's occupation?
Shelton Brooks was a singer, composer, jazz musician, pianist, songwriter and stage actor.
What nationality was Shelton Brooks?
Shelton Brooks was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Shelton Brooks. https://biography.guide/shelton-brooks/
MLA: "Shelton Brooks." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/shelton-brooks/.
Chicago: "Shelton Brooks." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/shelton-brooks/.
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