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Photos by courtesy of Murray Korman
Jerry Toast
the songs his mother loved so well, while she sat at the old yellowed piano keys and played for him. Jerry finally graduated from the menial jobs he had worked at to a solid position with a railroad company. The increased income enabled them to move into a better quarter of New Orleans. Life was a good deal easier now. His mother accepted fewer cases that demanded her absence from home for long intervals. The future
Jerry indeed had become a man. He sibility of a provider and an adviser to his whole family.
And then one day, quite by accident, Roger Wolfe Kahn, playing in a New Orleans dance hall, heard Jerry sing. He was impressed with Jerry's natural voice and advised him to consider seriously a singing career. From that day on, Jerry had a new interest in life. He had discovered that someone besides his mother thought he could sing — really sing well enough to be, for example, on the radio! So he sang! Everywhere and anywhere the opportunity presented itself, with visiting orchestras and on the local radio
Jerry, whom you also hear as Jack Randolph, is sure that beautiful Joan Mitchell is the love of his life. Should he listen to the plea of an older, sadder person, and wait for a while?
Cooper sings on NBC's Kreuger's Musical program. Turn to page 52 for the time.
By DOROTHY DANER
looked brighter, took the respon
stations in New Orleans. Opportunities in New Orleans were of necessity limited. In order to get any place with a singing career one had to be in New York. Jerry looked longingly towards that mecca of opportunity, not daring to voice his desires for fear he would hurt his mother.
But Mother Cooper knew
her son. And just as he had
understood her problem one
day long ago, so now she understood his. Bravely she
faced the truth. She must not stand between Jerry and his
happiness.
One day she said quite casually, "Jerry, I think you ought to go to New York. You can't get very far here." Jerry's blue eyes glowed with gratitude. In two weeks he left New Orleans to try his fortune in New York. The story of the hardships he endured and sacrifices he made before finally Emil Coleman gave him his chance in a show he was casting for the Palais Royal, has been told too often to repeat. The day Jerry signed his first contract with the Columbia (Continued on page 87)
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