Tim Moore
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Born Name:
Harry Roscoe Moore
Born Date: December 9, 1887
Born Place: Rock Island, Illinois
Died Date: December 13, 1958
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Vaudevillian, Broadway star, comic actor
Brief Biography: Tim Moore was most famously remembered for his iconic role as George "Kingfish" Stevens on the CBS television series The Amos 'n' Andy Show (1951–1953), which made him America’s first Black television star. Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Moore was celebrated for his clean comedic style, famously stating, "I've made it a point never to tell a joke on the stage that I couldn't tell in front of my mother."
Career Beginnings:
Street Dancing: Dropped out of grammar school at age 11 to dance for pennies on the street with his friend, Romeo Washburn.
Vaudeville Debut: Joined a traveling vaudeville act called Cora Miskel and Her Gold Dust Twins around 1898, touring the U.S. and Great Britain.
Medicine Shows & Circus: Performed in "medicine shows" alongside Kickapoo Indians and worked in carnival sideshows during his youth.
Diversified Talents:
Before finding massive success as a theater star, Moore pursued several other careers:
Prizefighting: Worked as a lightweight boxer and fight manager under the name "Time Moore," earning over $110,000 by 1913.
Odd Jobs: Worked briefly as a horse racing jockey, a stable fly-shooer, and a tour guide in Hawaii.
One-Man Show: Created a sensation in 1908 by performing a solo version of Uncle Tom's Cabin using split face makeup to play multiple characters.
Theater and Broadway Stardom:
The Chicago Follies: Financed and produced Tim Moore's Chicago Follies using his boxing earnings, touring the Black vaudeville T.O.B.A. circuit from 1921 to 1925.
Broadway Breakthrough: Gained major critical acclaim on Broadway in Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1928. He followed this with multiple other revues, including Lucky Sambo (1925) and Harlem Cavalcade (1942).
Comedy Writer: Wrote the vast majority of his own comedic material and even sold a famous comedy sketch, "It Ain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast," to legendary comedian W.C. Fields.
Television Breakout: The Amos 'n' Andy Show:
Retirement: By the late 1940s, Moore had retired from show business and moved to Baltimore to work a factory job.
The Kingfish: In 1950, CBS executives coaxed the 63-year-old out of retirement. The radio version of Amos 'n' Andy was transitioning to television, requiring talented Black actors to fill the roles.
Impact: Moore's performance as the scheming but lovable Kingfish became the breakout highlight of the show. Despite its high ratings, the show was canceled in 1953 amid pressure from civil rights groups over racial stereotyping, though it remained in syndication for years.
Born Date: December 9, 1887
Born Place: Rock Island, Illinois
Died Date: December 13, 1958
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Vaudevillian, Broadway star, comic actor
Brief Biography: Tim Moore was most famously remembered for his iconic role as George "Kingfish" Stevens on the CBS television series The Amos 'n' Andy Show (1951–1953), which made him America’s first Black television star. Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Moore was celebrated for his clean comedic style, famously stating, "I've made it a point never to tell a joke on the stage that I couldn't tell in front of my mother."
Career Beginnings:
Street Dancing: Dropped out of grammar school at age 11 to dance for pennies on the street with his friend, Romeo Washburn.
Vaudeville Debut: Joined a traveling vaudeville act called Cora Miskel and Her Gold Dust Twins around 1898, touring the U.S. and Great Britain.
Medicine Shows & Circus: Performed in "medicine shows" alongside Kickapoo Indians and worked in carnival sideshows during his youth.
Diversified Talents:
Before finding massive success as a theater star, Moore pursued several other careers:
Prizefighting: Worked as a lightweight boxer and fight manager under the name "Time Moore," earning over $110,000 by 1913.
Odd Jobs: Worked briefly as a horse racing jockey, a stable fly-shooer, and a tour guide in Hawaii.
One-Man Show: Created a sensation in 1908 by performing a solo version of Uncle Tom's Cabin using split face makeup to play multiple characters.
Theater and Broadway Stardom:
The Chicago Follies: Financed and produced Tim Moore's Chicago Follies using his boxing earnings, touring the Black vaudeville T.O.B.A. circuit from 1921 to 1925.
Broadway Breakthrough: Gained major critical acclaim on Broadway in Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1928. He followed this with multiple other revues, including Lucky Sambo (1925) and Harlem Cavalcade (1942).
Comedy Writer: Wrote the vast majority of his own comedic material and even sold a famous comedy sketch, "It Ain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast," to legendary comedian W.C. Fields.
Television Breakout: The Amos 'n' Andy Show:
Retirement: By the late 1940s, Moore had retired from show business and moved to Baltimore to work a factory job.
The Kingfish: In 1950, CBS executives coaxed the 63-year-old out of retirement. The radio version of Amos 'n' Andy was transitioning to television, requiring talented Black actors to fill the roles.
Impact: Moore's performance as the scheming but lovable Kingfish became the breakout highlight of the show. Despite its high ratings, the show was canceled in 1953 amid pressure from civil rights groups over racial stereotyping, though it remained in syndication for years.