Jolson

American

[johl-suhn] / ˈdʒoʊl sən /

noun

Al Asa Yoelson, 1886–1950, U.S. singer and entertainer, born in Russia.

Jolson British

/ ˈdʒəʊlsən /

noun

Al, real name Asa Yoelson. 1886–1950, US singer and film actor, born in Russia; star of the first talking picture The Jazz Singer (1927)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first talking picture, “The Jazz Singer,” starred Al Jolson as a cantor’s son who wanted to go pop.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2024

Tony, on the other hand, preferred the popular tunes of the day: particularly Bing Crosby and the jazz and blues singer Al Jolson.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2023

And within about 10 years, she was pretty much out of the movie business, went on to have a family, and was at one point famously married to Al Jolson.

From New York Times • May 1, 2023

But Jolson was born nearly a decade after Robinson.

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2023

The Western Union office in San Francisco was overwhelmed with hundreds of congratulatory telegrams for the Howards, including those from Bing Crosby, A1 Jolson, and Fred Astaire.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023