Percy Bost
Percy Andrew Bost was born on 27 September 1892 in Fresno to John and Alice Bost. Both the parents were born in North Carolina but had moved to California in about 1888. I can find no trace of Percy or his family in the Censuses of 1910, 1920 and 1930. In 1901 he was a member of the boys’ drums corps in the Fourth of July parade (1). In 1903 he gave a recitation in the Christmas program by the Sunday school scholars of Bethel and Zion M. E. churches (2). In 1908 ‘Percy Bost, a lad in his teens’ was caught selling a stolen bicycle wheel. ‘Best’s confession was full. He seems to belong to the wandering fraternity, though he is so young, and plainly said that he committed the theft in the desire to leave Fresno.’ He was given a six months suspended sentence but in March he was again arrested for stealing a bike and was held in default of bail (3). What the final upshot was is not known. In 1913 Percy was the mascot of the Colored Giants of Fresno baseball team and, dressed as a goat, ‘cavorts around the territory adjacent to the third sack’ (4). A year later he had graduated from mascot to captain of the team (5). In the 1915 Fresno City Directory he is listed as a Laborer resident at 128 M, but in the 1914-18 Voter Registration lists he appears, at the same address, as an Actor. He next appears giving a vocal solo at a 4th of July program in 1917 (6). An account (7) of a boxing tournament in May 1918 reported that ‘The entertainment features include the “Harmony Four,”a negro quartet, consisting of Percy Bost, Joe Lewis, Herman Holby and Frank Washington, who will sing between bouts.’ By this time he had been drafted and he sailed for France with the 815th Pioneer Infantry on 11 October 1918 returning from Brest on 26 June 1919 (8). In September 1919 a performance was reported of a Colored Quartette - Percy Bost, Lee Calhoun, Rogers McClendon, Harrison DeBury, accompanied by Ernest McClendon (9).
Fresno Morning Republican
9 December 1918 p. 8
In the Fresno City Directory for 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1924 he is listed as a Porter but in 1925, 1927 and 1928 he appears as a Musician. In 1929 he is back to being a Porter and the 1931 Directory does not list an occupation. Voter Registration lists for 1924-6 and 1928 have his occupation as Music. His musical activities in 1922 were still as a vocalist. In April (10) ‘Percy Bost and Mrs. Ward Morris entertained with several musical numbers’ and in September (11) ‘Percy Bost sang several songs.’ At a Barbecue in September (12) the bill included ‘Songs by the Percy Bost’s Colored Jubille Singers’ and in November (13) a Dance featured ‘Percy Bost, Entertainer and Dancer And the Well Known Pat’s Jazz Babies.’
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Fresno Morning Republican 4 November 1922 p. 28
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Fresno Morning Republican
23 September 1922 p. 14
The first evidence of him as band leader comes in the Madera Mercury of 21 July 1923 p.1 which advertised a dance at the Biola Dance Hall with music by Percy Bost’s Colored Orchestra. After that I have found nothing until 1925 when at the same venue Percy Bost’s Colored Orchestra (Fresno Morning Republican 2 May 1925 p. 16) and Percy Bost and his Charleston Syncopators (ibid 19 September 1925 p. 19) appeared. An announcement of a luncheon for the Fresno Association of Insurance Agents said that ‘Entertainment will be provided by Percy Bost’s Charleston Syncopaters . . . Numbers to be played and sung by the syncopaters are: “Normandy,” “Because Of You,” song by Percy Bost, “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” “Susie,” “Funny,” saxophone solo, the original Charleston,” and “Pal of My Cradle Days”’ (14). We see two sides of his repertoire in January 1926 - at the Hippodrome Percy Bost and his Dixieland Vaudeville Artists provided the entertainment (15) while at a Musicale at Bethel A. M. E. Church ‘Mr. Percy Bost’ was heard ‘in a vocal solo. Mr. Bost was accompanied by his own orchestra, which rendered several numbers during the evening’ (16). More dances and luncheon entertainments followed in the rest of 1926 until Prohibition caught up with Percy in 1926 - the Fresno Morning Republican 7 November 1926 p. 3, under the headline ‘Negro Faces Liquor Charge,’ reported that ‘Percy Bost, 30, leaders of a negro dance orchestra, was last night lodged in the county jail, facing a charge of possessing liquor. . . . . Bost’s arrest grew, McCreary said last night, out of an episode at the Fred Douglas club, negro organization, when members of the vice squad attempted to arrest the man. Bost, the officers declare, threw a bottle containing liquor into the street, and then outran the officers, making his escape. McCreary gave chase for several blocks, but was far outdistanced by the fleet negro. Knowing that Bost and his orchestra would appear at the Biola dance, the officers went to Biola and took the man from the dance. He was brought to Fresno and lodged in jail. Later in the evening Bost was released from jail, upon bond’ (17) He made several appearances in December and January 1927 both as bandleader and vocalist. On 19 January 1927 p. 1 the Fresno Morning Republican reported that the jury had failed to reach a verdict on the liquor possession charge. Through 1927 the band (variously described as Percy Bost’s Musical Blackbirds and Percy Bost and his Blue Blowers) played for dances and Percy also occasionally appeared as a vocalist without the band (once with a partner - Percy Bost and his Little Pal, Williams) (18). He was in trouble again in December when he was arrested on a charge of selling a quantity of liquor to a Federal Prohibition Agent in his home - ‘Bost threw the marked money used in the sale into the stove but the money, scarred by the fire, was recovered by the officers’ (19). The Fresno Morning Republican 22 May 1928 p. 13 reported that he was ‘held under $2,000 bail, pending his preliminary examination on June 14 . . . Bost is at liberty now on bond.’ I don’t know what happened about that charge but more trouble was in store. The Fresno Morning Republican 21 May 1928 p. 3 under the headline ‘Bost Nabbed; Fails To Leap.’ reported that ‘Sought for over a month by a purity squad he evaded when he leaped out of a window, Percy Bost, colored entertainer and bar tender, was taken into custody by police strategy last night on a charge of possessing and selling intoxicating liquor. Bost was said by the police to have attempted another second story leap to freedom but seeing Detective Sergeant J. G. Moran leaning outside of the building about where he would land, Bost called down. “Do you all want to see me, Mr. Moran?” “Why no, of course not,” Moran replied. “But I think Sergeant McCreary wants to. He’s on his way up now.” Police surrounded the place on B street where Bost was taken.’ Again there is no follow up report but to judge from newspaper reports Bost and his band continued to appear regularly through 1928 and up to June 1929. In October 1928 they also appeared on the Fresno Bee radio station - ‘Bost’s orchestra included in their program a number of late popular selections and Bost sang as a solo number, Was It A Dream. The personnel of the orchetra is: Percy Bost, soloist and drums; Mrs. Ollie Clark, piano; Willie Burns and Bennie Gibson, saxophones, Ben Watkins and Howard Beary, trumpets, Fred Cannon, tuba, and Charles Williams, banjo’ (20). A report (21) of a later broadcast said that ‘Bost’s program included: as orchestral numbers, I Must Be Dreaming, You’re A Real Sweetheart, Some Of These Days, For Old Time Sake, San, and You Tell Me Your Dream; and solos by Bost, Just A Cottage Small, and Angela Mio.’
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Fresno Morning Republican 12 July 1923 p. 8
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Fresno Morning Republican
19 September 1925 p. 19
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Fresno Morning Republican 17 January 1926 p. 7-B
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Visalia Times-Delta 17 March 1927 p. 8-A
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Fresno Morning Republican 27 August 1927 p. 16
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Fresno Morning Republican 23 November 1927 p. 2
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Fresno Morning Republican 15 March 1926
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Hanford Morning Journal 7 November 1928 p. 4
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Santa Cruz Evening News 22 September 1928 p. 6
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Fresno Morning Republican 8 December 1928 p. 13
Bost’s wife Corinne died in September 1929 (22) and Bost disappears from view until 1934 when he re-emerges living in San Francisco and working as a singer rather than as a bandleader. On February 22 1934 p. 2 the San Francisco Spokesman reported on a gig at the Palais Royal by the Rhythm Ramblers ‘with that songbird Percy Bost from Topsy’s Roost, handling the vocal end in neat style. His “I Love You Truly” topped some good numbers.’ And the same paper on 20 September 1934 p. 3 advertised a dance at the So Different Cafe with music by Eddie Liggins and his band plus ‘Percy Bost in the song hit “Little Man You’ve Had a Busy Day”.’ The next report I have found comes from the California Eagle 28 May 1937 p. 4-B - “Percy Bost, entertainer at Topsy’s Roose (sic) could be another Clarence Muse if he was in Hollywood.’ The San Francisco Examiner 18 (p. 28) and 20 (p. 34) October 1939 carried an ad in which Percy Bost and Eddie Liggins, piano and singing drummer, formerly of Topsy’s Roost, said they were open for engagements, though from 1939 to 1942 he was to feature regularly at Club Alabam working with various bands (Wilbert Baranco, Ben Watkins ) and other vocalists (Edna Ross, Dee Dee Hackett, Genevieve Stearns). The Eagle 19 February 1942 p. 7-A reported that ‘Percy Bost has checked out of the entertainment world and is working for Uncle Sam’ and when he registered for the draft in April he was employed at Richmond Shipbuilding Co. On 15 May 1943 the Pittsburgh Courier (p. 4) reported that ‘Miss [Lena] Horne and Percy Bost, a shipfitter and anchor man, made appeals [for the purchase of War Bonds] in three of the four Kaiser yards.’ Nonetheless there are a few references to his working at the Alabam after that. On 11 November 1943 p. 4-B the Eagle mentioned that ‘Percy Bost, the ex-entertainer’ was a regular attender at boxing matches, on 20 January 1944 p. 14 said that ‘Percy Bost, with his new and most attractive young lady from New York, is the last word in dress, with a grand disposition,’ and on 30 March 1944 p. 14 that ‘Percy Bost and his attractive wife (23) have almost paid for their ten thousand dollar home in Berkeley.’ I cannot locate him in the 1950 Census. He died in San Francisco on 2 September 1958; at the time he was living at 1671 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco. He is buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno. His next of kin was listed as his nephew, Eugene Hinds of Los Angeles.
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Spokesman 27 September 1934 p. 2
San Francisco Examiner 20 October 1939 p. 34
San Francisco Examiner 29 January 1939 p. 16
Notes:-
(1) Fresno Morning Republican July 5 1901 p. 2.
(2) Fresno Morning Republican 26 December 1903 p. 8.
(3) Fresno Morning Republican 16 (p. 16) and 21 (p.3) February, 1 (p. 4) and 6 (p. 7) March 1908.
(4) Tulare Advance-Register 20 September 1913 p. 6 and 22 September p. 2.
(5) Fresno Morning Republican 29 April 1914 p. 14, 13 May 1914 p. 10; 7 May 1915 p. 10.
(6) Fresno Morning Republican 1 July 1917 p. 3.
(7) Bakersfield Morning Echo 19 May 1918 p. 6.
(8) California Eagle 10 August 1918 p. 8; Fresno Morning Republican 9 December 1918 p. 8.
(9) Fresno Morning Republican 14 September 1919 p. 13.
(10) Fresno Morning Republican 20 April 1922 p. 1.
(11) Fresno Morning Republican 21 September 1922 p. 18.
(12) Fresno Morning Republican 23 September 1922 p. 14
(13) Fresno Morning Republican 4 November 1922 p. 28.
(14) Fresno Morning Republican 17 December 1925 p. 1.
(15) Fresno Morning Republican 17 January 1926 p. 7-B.
(16) California Eagle 29 January 1926 p. 8.
(17) See also the Fresno Bee 7 November 1926 p. 2.
(18) Fresno Morning Republican 23 November 1927 p. 2.
(19) Fresno Bee 19 December 1927 p. 5.
(20) Fresno Bee 13 October 1928 p. 2.
(21) Fresno Bee 27 October 1928 p. 2.
(22) Fresno Morning Republican 14 September 1929. They were married in Los Angeles on 16 June 1921.
(23) His subsequent marriage(s) are difficult to disentangle. In the 1933 and 1934 Oakland City Directories he is listed with (Camille); in that for 1940 he is listed at 1404 Carlton B with (Cath) and in the San Francisco City Directory for 1940 (where his residence is given simply as Berkeley) with (Kitty). Yet in the 1940 census he is listed at 1404 Carleton St. as Married but the only other residents of his house are Catherine Merriman (Widowed Housekeeper) and her daughters. It seems reasonable to identify Cath and Kitty with Catherine Merriman and to conclude that she was not Percy’s wife. The California Eagle 20 January 1944 writes of ‘Percy Bost, with his new and most attractive young lady from New York, is the last word in dress, with a grand disposition,’ and 30 March 1944 says that ‘Percy Bost and his attractive wife have almost paid for their ten thousand dollar home in Berkeley.’ I can find no documentation of marriage to Camille nor of his later marriage.