Al Jolson (1886-1950) The singer was born Asa Yoelson in Lithuania. The son of a cantor, he emigrated with his family to America at the end of the l9th century, settling in Washington, DC. He became a Broadway star in "La Belle Paree," in which he started out as a bit player and wound up headlining. He starred in the first "talking picture," THE JAZZ SINGER, and was the subject of the wildly successful 1946 biopic THE JOLSON STORY. Among the many songs he popularized were "Swanee" and "My Mammy."