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Artist
Nat M. Wills
12+ albums
vaudevilleAll1910sspotify
about
Nat M. Wills (born Louis McGrath Wills) (July 11, 1873 – December 9, 1917), was a popular stage star, vaudeville entertainer, and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his "tramp" persona and for performing humorous or satirical musical numbers, including parodies of popular songs of the day. Nat Wills was born Louis McGrath Wills in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on July 11, 1873, the son of John (1832–1904) and Sallie B. (1845–1881) Wills. His birth name is variously given as Louis Magrath Wills,[1] Matthew McGrath Wills [2][3] and Edward McGregor,[4] but census records from 1880 show a boy named "Lewis" Wills,[5] and Wills gave his legal name as Louis on official documents.[6] He had a brother, Clarence (1877–1896), and a sister, Maud, born in 1875. He also had a half-sister, Indianna, born in 1855, and a half-brother, George F., born in 1853, from his father's first marriage to Susan A. Wills (1832–1865). Little is known about his early life. There is no record of his birth in Virginia. An article in the Fredericksburg, Virginia Daily Star, dated Tuesday, October 9, 1923, mentions Maud, and says that Wills was the grandson of James Taylor, a policeman. James Taylor was Wills' mother Sallie's father and is listed on census records as a policeman.[7] Wills' family moved to Washington, D.C. when he was a child and he and began his theatrical career there. Reportedly, one of his first stage appearances was with Minnie Palmer, a popular ac