George Washington Dixon was an
American singer, stage
actor, and
newspaper editor. He rose to prominence as a
blackface performer (possibly the first American to do so) after performing "
Coal Black Rose", "
Zip Coon", and similar songs. At age 15, Dixon joined the
circus, where he quickly established himself as a singer. In 1829, he began performing "Coal Black Rose" in blackface, which, with similar songs would propel him to stardom. He was by all accounts a gifted vocalist, and much of his material was quite challenging. "Zip Coon" became his trademark song. By 1835, Dixon considered journalism to be his primary vocation. His newspapers included
Dixon's Daily Review, which started in
Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1835, and
Dixon's Saturday Night Express, begun in 1836 in
Boston. By this point, he had taken to using his paper to expose what he considered the misdeeds of the upper classes. These stories earned him many enemies, and Dixon was taken to court on several occasions. His most successful paper was the
Polyanthos, which he began publishing in 1838 from
New York City. Under its masthead, he challenged some of his greatest adversaries, including
Thomas S. Hamblin, Reverend
Francis L. Hawks, and
Madame Restell. After a brief foray into hypnotism, "pedestrianism" (long-distance walking), and other pursuits, he retired to
New Orleans, Louisiana.
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