Charles Correll
Half of the radio duo that created Amos 'n' Andy, a phenomenally popular show that shaped early broadcasting and sparked enduring cultural debate.
1890–1972 (age 82)·American comedian, actor and writer·Birthday: February 2·The Lost Generation
Biography
Charles Correll was a Chicago-born performer who, with partner Freeman Gosden, invented a new form of entertainment: the serialized radio comedy. Beginning in 1928, 'Amos 'n' Andy' became a national obsession, with streets emptying as families gathered around radios to hear the latest misadventure. Correll voiced the pompous, scheming Andy Brown, while Gosden played the more humble Amos Jones. Their show was a technical and narrative pioneer, using character voices and ongoing storylines to create an intimate, theatrical experience without visuals. At its peak, it commanded an audience of 40 million listeners. The legacy of 'Amos 'n' Andy' is deeply complex; while it demonstrated radio's immense power and pioneered the sitcom format, its use of minstrelsy-derived dialect and stereotypes by white performers later became a focal point for criticism regarding racial representation in media.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Charles was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 80
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Died at 82
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
Key Achievements
- Co-created and starred in 'Amos 'n' Andy', the first nationally syndicated radio serial and a ratings phenomenon.
- Pioneered the use of continuing storylines and distinct character voices in radio comedy.
- The show's success helped sell millions of radios and establish NBC's dominance in early broadcasting.
- Transitioned the franchise to television in the 1950s, though with an African American cast.
Did You Know?
Correll and Gosden originally performed their act as 'Sam 'n' Henry' on a Chicago radio station before moving to NBC.
He and Gosden wrote nearly every episode of the radio show themselves for over two decades.
During World War II, they performed for troops and were featured in war bond drives.
Correll was the voice of the animated character 'Andy Panda' for Universal Pictures in the early 1940s.
“Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule!”
