Draft:Fred Sulis
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Fred Douglass Sulis, F.D. Sulis and Frederick Douglass Sulis should redirect here
Frederick Douglass Sulis (1872–?), known professionally as Fred Sulis, and Professor Sulis,[1] was a Canadian-born vaudeville musician and music director. He performed ragtime music on the piano in the United States and Cuba.[1][2] He toured with Pat Chappelle and the Rabbit Foot's Company, a long-running "colored" minstrel and variety troupe.[1][3]
Early life
Frederick Douglass Sulis was born in 1872 in Fredericton in New Brunswick, Canada, and was from Scottish ancestry.[3][4] He attended music classes in New Bedford and Boston, Massachusetts.[3]
Career
In January 1899, Sulis was one of the performers in Pat Chappelle's Imperial Colored Minstrels.[3] From fall of 1901 until April 1902, he performed at the Mascotte Theater in Tampa, Florida.[3] This was followed by a role as musical director of performances and piano performer at the Domino Theater in Fernandina Beach, Florida from April 1902 until December 1903.[3]
In August 1906, Sulis was playing the piano alongside Tenia Mizell (from Key West, Florida) at the Indiana Vaudeville Theatre in Havana, Cuba.[3] And shortly thereafter he was playing with Tenia Gilhams and Anita Borden in Chicago Café in Havana.[3] He remained in Havana in 1909 and performed at Café Indiana. His favorite ragtime song was "Oh! You Kid!".[3]