100 years ago, before musical recordings were available for dances, big bands played music for partygoers to groove to. Amherstburg Ontario native Shelton Brooks, also claimed by Detroit and Chicago, was the creator of some of the most popular music of the day. "Some of These Days", made popular by the venerable Sophie Tucker, "Walking the Dog" and "The Darktown Strutters Ball" were some of the most recognizable. Now relive the music of that at The Shelton Brooks Darktown Strutters Review and Ball with a live band accompanying award winning performing artists Leslie McCurdy and Cassel Miles as they take you on an early ragtime musical ride and teach some of the ragtime dance steps too as the audience becomes part of the "Strutters Ball"! This show will have your toes tappin' and your fingers snappin'! (Currently in workshop.)

Shelton Brooks, born May 4, 1886, was a Canadian born composer from Amherstburg Ontario who wrote some of the biggest jazz hits of the early 20^th century. His compositions were performed by the best known white singers of the era, including Nara Bayes and Al Jolson and his melodies became some of the earliest Jazz standards. Along with his successful song writing career, Brooks sang, played piano and performed vaudeville.

As a child, Brooks got his start in music playing the organ in his father’s church. When he was 15, Brooks’ family moved to Detroit Michigan, where he began his first professional music job playing the piano. Brooks later moved to Chicago where he also performed vaudeville and would eventually meet singer Sophie Tucker.

Tucker went on to sing Brooks’ first big hit, “Some of These Days”, which she later adopted as her theme song. Brooks also wrote hits such as “Walking the Dog” and “All Night Long”, capturing the mood of the early 20^th century dance club era. Later in life, Brooks wrote several Broadway musicals.

Brooks had a long and successful career and was eventually honoured in San Francisco at the Festival of American Music in 1940. He died in Los Angeles on September 6, 1975, but his music lives on.