William Baker Rock

American vaudeville performer

William Baker Rock (August 5, 1872 - June 27, 1922) was a vaudeville comedian and dancer.[1][2] He was a partner with Maude Fulton in the vaudeville act of Rock and Fulton.[3] He later was a partner with Frances White (1898-1969) as Rock and White.[4]

William Baker Rock
William Rock (1875-1922) and Frances White (1898-1969) in 1917
Born
William Baker Rock

(1872-08-05)August 5, 1872
DiedJune 27, 1922(1922-06-27) (aged 49)
Cause of deathStomach cancer
Occupation(s)Comedian and dancer

Biography

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He was born on August 5, 1872 in Evansville, Indiana to William Beverly Rock and Matilda Baker.[2][4][5] He married Jane Ryder on October 5, 1905 in Manhattan, New York City.[6] He married Gladys Tilbury of Brighton, England. On July 6, 1921 he married Hiler Eby of Altoona, Pennsylvania. She appeared with him in Hitchy-Koo. On July 13, 1921 he was hospitalized and had one-third of his stomach removed.[1] He died on June 27, 1922 at the National Stomach Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of cancer of the stomach.[2][4][7][8] He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Bowling Green, Kentucky.[2]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "William Rock Operated On. A Portion of Stomach Removed From Dancer, Recently Married". New York Times. July 15, 1921. Retrieved 2015-09-22. William Rock, for many years well known as a dancer and comedian in vaudeville and musical theater ...
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Death certificate for William B. Rock". Retrieved 2015-09-27.
  3. "Maude Fulton, 69, Stage Star, Dead. Noted Actress Here for Many Years Was Author of 'Brat' and 'The Humming Bird'". New York Times. November 11, 1950. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Anthony Slide (2012). "William Rock". The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. University Press of Mississippi. p. 144–146.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. My Life in Vaudeville: The Autobiography of Ed Lowry uses 1867 for the year of William Rock's birth.
  6. New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940
  7. "William Rock, Dancer". New York Times. June 28, 1922. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  8. "William Rock of Stage Fame Dead". Ogden Standard-Examiner. June 28, 1922. Retrieved 2015-09-23.