Editing Cliff Edwards (section)

==Early life and musical career==
Edwards was born in [[Hannibal, Missouri]]. He left school at age 14 and soon moved to [[St. Louis, Missouri]], and [[Saint Charles, Missouri]], where he entertained as a singer in [[Bar (establishment)|saloons]]. As many places had [[piano]]s in bad shape or none at all, Edwards taught himself to play [[ukulele|{{okina}}ukulele]] to serve as his own accompanist (choosing it because it was the cheapest instrument in the music shop). He was nicknamed "Ukulele Ike" by a club owner who could never remember his name. He got his first break in 1918 at the Arsonia Cafe in [[Chicago, Illinois]], where he performed a song called "[[Ja-Da]]", written by the club's [[pianist]], [[Bob Carleton]]. Edwards and Carleton made it a hit on the [[vaudeville]] circuit. Vaudeville headliner [[Joe Frisco]] hired Edwards as part of his act, which was featured at [[Palace Theatre (Broadway)|the Palace]] in [[New York City]]—the most prestigious vaudeville theater—and later in the [[Ziegfeld Follies]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Tranquada
| first = Jim
| title = The Ukulele: a History
| publisher = University of Hawaii Press
| year = 2012
| pages = 121–3
| isbn = 978-0-8248-3544-6}}</ref>
<ref name="Ukulele Heroes: The Golden Age">{{cite book
| first= Ian
| last= Whitcomb
| year= 2012
| title= Ukulele Heroes: The Golden Age
| publisher= Hal Leonard Books
| location= Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| isbn= 978-1-4584-1654-4}}</ref>

Edwards made his first [[gramophone record|phonograph records]] in 1919. He recorded early examples of [[jazz]] [[scat singing]] in 1922. The following year he signed a contract with [[Pathé Records]]. He became one of the most popular singers of the 1920s, appearing in several [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] shows. He recorded many of the pop and novelty hits of the day, including "[[California, Here I Come]]", "[[Hard Hearted Hannah]]", "[[Yes Sir, That's My Baby (song)|Yes Sir, That's My Baby]]", and "[[I'll See You in My Dreams (1924 song)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]".  Some of the lables of Edwards' early recordings identify him as "Ukelele Ike," a then common misspelling of "ukulele." 

In 1924, Edwards performed as the headliner at the Palace, the pinnacle of his vaudeville success. That year he also featured in [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]]'s first Broadway musical ''[[Lady Be Good (musical)|Lady Be Good]]'', alongside [[Fred Astaire|Fred]] and [[Adele Astaire]]. As a recording artist, his hits included "Paddlin’ Madeleine Home" (1925), "[[I Can't Give You Anything but Love]]" (1928), and the classic "[[Singin' in the Rain (song)|Singin' in the Rain]]" (1929), which he introduced. Edwards's own compositions included "(I'm Cryin' 'Cause I Know I'm) Losing You", "You're So Cute (Mama o' Mine)", "Little Somebody of Mine", and "I Want to Call You 'Sweet Mama'". He also recorded a few "off-color" novelty songs for under-the-counter sales, including "I'm a Bear in a Lady's Boudoir", "Mr. Insurance Man", and "Give It to Mary with Love".

Edwards, more than any other performer, was responsible for the soaring popularity of the {{okina}}ukulele.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Tranquada
| first = Jim
| title = The Ukulele: a History
| publisher = University of Hawaii Press
| year = 2012
| pages = 122–3
| isbn = 978-0-8248-3544-6}}</ref>
Millions of {{okina}}ukuleles were sold during the decade, and [[Tin Pan Alley]] publishers added {{okina}}ukulele chords to standard [[sheet music]]. Edwards always played American [[Martin Guitar|Martin]] ukuleles, favoring the small soprano model in his early career. In his later years, he moved to the larger tenor {{okina}}ukulele, which was becoming popular in the 1930s.

Edwards continued to record until shortly before his death in 1971. His last record album, ''Ukulele Ike'', was released posthumously on the independent Glendale label. He reprised many of his 1920s hits; his failing health was however evident in the recordings.<ref>Glendale Records GL-6011 LP, 1978</ref>