Lewis, Ted

Ted Lewis Bandleader, clarinet player, and composer Theodore Leopold Friedman, Circleville, Ohio, June 6, 1892; New York City, August 25, 1971. Novelty-jazz bandleader Lewis originally performed as a clarinet soloist on the vaudeville circuit. He first played with Earl Fuller’s Famous Jazz Band in 1917, and then formed his own band two years later. He was active in New York during the 1920s, appearing on radio and records, and in a number of Broadway revues, including several editions of the…