- Born
- Died
- Birth nameEleanor Goldberg
- Nickname
- The Wurzburger Girl
- Nora Bayes was born on October 3, 1880 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to Benjamin L Friedland, Arthur Gordini, Harry Clark, Jack Norworth and Otto Anselm Gressing. She died on March 19, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
- SpousesBenjamin L Friedland(1925 - March 19, 1928) (her death)Arthur Gordini(1920 - 1922) (divorced)Harry Clark(1913 - 1915) (divorced)Jack Norworth(1908 - February 1913) (divorced)Otto Anselm Gressing (divorced)
- Once wired vaudeville producer E. F. Albee: 'Beginning next week my salary must be $10,000 per week". He wired back: "Your salary will remain $1,000 per week". At her next performance she sang eight bars of the opening song, stopped and said: "That's $1000 worth of my act" and walked off.
- She introduced George M. Cohan's song, "Over There."
- With husband Jack Norworth, starred in stage shows and co-wrote songs. Most famous composition is "Shine On, Harvest Moon".
- Married 5th husband, Benjamin L Friedland, onboard the steamship Leviathan.
- Was told by George M. Cohan that the name Dora Goldberg may be a hindrance to success on Broadway. Dora was then changed to Nora and Bayes was derived from the Hebrew letter beis.
- The vaudeville audience is the most sensitive because it is there to meet old friends, to spend an hour or two in pleasant company, and it has no objection to tears if they start from the hearts of their friends who are on the stage. They are just as ready to cry with you in the theatre as they would be in their own homes, but they must be real tears not stage tears.
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