The Rabbit's Foot Company - Later Years, 1912-1950

Later Years, 1912-1950

In 1912, Ma Rainey brought the young Bessie Smith into the troupe, and worked with her until Smith left in 1915. Ida Cox was also a featured woman blues singer.

By 1918, Wolcott had moved the show’s headquarters to Port Gibson, Mississippi. Each spring, musicians from around the country assembled there to create a musical, comedy, and variety show to perform under canvas. In his book The Story of the Blues, Paul Oliver wrote : "The 'Foots' travelled in two cars and had a 80' x 110' tent which was raised by the roustabouts and canvassmen, while a brass band would parade in town to advertise the coming of the show...The stage would be of boards on a folding frame and Coleman lanterns - gasoline mantle lamps - acted as footlights. There were no microphones; the weaker voiced singers used a megaphone, but most of the featured women blues singers scorned such aids to volume..."

Louis Jordan performed with the troupe in the 1920s, sometimes with his father, a bandleader. Other performers with the company in the 1930s included the young Rufus Thomas, George Guesnon, and trombonist Leon "Pee Wee" Whittaker, a native of Newellton, Louisiana. Later on, Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis also toured with the troupe.

As "F. S. Wolcott’s Original Rabbit's Foot Minstrels", the company continued to tour among southern states until it disbanded around 1950.