Minstrel shows were a popular form of entertainment from the 1840s to the 1890s. These shows contained stereotypical, and by today’s standards, offensive impersonations of African Americans by White men who blackened their faces and hands with burnt cork. “Sally Come Up” was originally published in 1859, in England, where minstrel shows were very popular. Dave Reed (1830-1906), who was a popular performer in minstrel shows here in America, obtained a copy of the song and created a song and dance act that played to rave reviews. The act was seen by Frederick Buckley, who hired him to perform with Buckley’s Serenaders. The Buckley brothers, G. Swaine, R. Bishop, and Frederick, were well-known minstrel performers who, after a successful tour in Europe in 1860, settled in Boston, Massachusetts. Frederick was the leader of the orchestra, violin soloist, composer, and arranger. This cover is dedicated to Dave Reed, who, when it was published in 1862, performed the song and dance every night with the Serenaders. It states that Frederick Buckley composed and arranged the song, but he most likely only did the arranging, since the song originated in England.
Buckley, Frederick. Sally Come Up. 1862. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l01-108/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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