The Kraft Music Hall with guest George Kirby (1963)

George Kirby at Grossingers (1978)

By the time this early HBO special aired, George Kirby was already in jail. So talented, so sad. The George Kirby Story is something I am sure to write eventually. Love the man.

The George Kirby Show with guest Nancy Wilson (1970)

The Jimmy Dean Show with guests George Kirby, Boots Randoph and Rowlf the Dog (1963)

Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour (1973)

I've Got a Secret with special guest stars Pearl Bailey and George Kirby (1967)

What Can I Do - George Kirby (1965)

Comedian/impressionist George Kirby had a beautiful voice - you'd have to in order to be able to imitate Ella Fitzgerald's singing voice perfectly. In 1965 he recorded a straight soul tune for Chicago's Chess Records. Here it is - and please ignore the dumb visuals the YouTuber has accompanying the fine tune.

George Kirby: A Night in Hollywood

George Kirby is one of the great mimics in the history of stand-up comedy. He was quite famous throughout the fifties and sixties, known best to regular viewers of The Ed Sullivan Show. He had a remarkable voice that allowed him to impersonate voices in a variety of ranges. His most impressive feats were his bang-on impression of Ella Fitzgerald and what is probably his most famous bit, a perfect vocal impersonation of Pearl Bailey. Both of those are on display on this, his first comedy LP, as well as takes on Marlon Brando (perhaps the earliest of all the Brando impressions), Louella Parsons, Arthur Godfrey, Johnny Mathis and several more. This record was recorded in the late fifties but I can not give you a specific year.

Kirby also drops the name of his contemporary Moms Mabley on this album and does an extended version of a joke about pot smokers that appeared on the Chess LP Moms Breaks Up the Network. This record was pressed by the Dooto outfit. 

Dooto Records was known best as the label that released tons of Redd Foxx material, but they also showcased doo-wop groups like The Penguins and The Medallions and up and coming African-American comedians like Don Bexley and a young kid billed as Rudy Moore.

Listen to the whole LP - George Kirby - A Night in Hollywood

Kraft Music Hall with host Perry Como and guest George Kirby (1963)

I'm posting this episode primarily because of the legendary impressionist and nightclub comedian George Kirby, one of the very neglected figures of 20th century showbiz history. I'll be uploading a very good LP by the man on Dooto Records in a couple months.

George Kirby and Della Reese sing Al Green (1972)

On Location: George Kirby (1978)

George Kirby 9/13/07 - video offline

One of the biggest African-American comedy stars of all time was comic, impressionist and dancer George Kirby. He was well known for his bang-on interpretation of Pearl Bailey and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He eventually developed a drug problem. Read more about Kirby here.