Billy B. Van
Billy B. Van (born William Webster Van de Grift; August 3, 1870 – November 16, 1950) was an American entertainer in the early decades of the 1900s. He performed in minstrel shows, vaudeville, burlesque, the New York stage, and movies. Later in his career, Van became a motivational speaker and a Yankee goodwill ambassador. |
Birth and Death Data: Died November 16, 1950
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1917
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, speaker, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-17070 | 10-in. | 1/27/1916 | To my dog | Billy B. Van | Recitation, unaccompanied | speaker, author | |
| Victor | B-17071 | 10-in. | 1/27/1916 | Mickey the pum pum man | Billy B. Van | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | [Trial 1915-12-11-01] | Not documented | 12/11/1915 | Dog story | Billy B. Van | Recitation | speaker | |
| Columbia | 77160 | 10-in. | 6/16/1917 | Have a heart | Peerless Quartet ; Billy B. Van | Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Columbia | 77161 | 10-in. | 6/16/1917 | Napoleon | Peerless Quartet ; Billy B. Van | Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Columbia | 77177 | 10-in. | 6/27/1917 | Mike's the boy | Peerless Quartet ; Billy B. Van | Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Columbia | 77178 | 10-in. | 6/27/1917 | O'Grady was in line | Billy B. Van | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Van, Billy B.," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106604.
Van, Billy B.. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106604.
"Van, Billy B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Van, Billy B. - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92071704
Wikidata: Billy B. Van - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4912133
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/4128481
MusicBrainz: Billy B. Van - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d8e6ac02-21cf-4061-bfde-6951bef51b42
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