  clifton avon edwards (june 14, 1895 â july 17, 1971) â known as "ukelele ike" â was an american singer and voice actor who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early '30s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. he had a number-one hit with "singin' in the rain" in 1929. he also did voices for animated cartoons later in his career, and is best known as the voice of jiminy cricket in walt disney's pinocchio (1940). his personal life was troubled; he divorced three times, filed bankruptcy three times, was careless with money, and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. by the time of his death in 1971, edwards was a penniless welfare patient at a california nursing home. ==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 saloons. as many places had pianos in bad shape or none at all, edwards taught himself to play ukulele (then often spelled "ukelele") to serve as his own accompanist (choosing it because it was the cheapest instrument in the music shop). he was nicknamed "ukelele 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 the palace in new york city, the most prestigious vaudeville theater, and later in the ziegfeld follies. {{cite book | first= ian | last= whitcomb | year= 2012 | title= ukulele heroes: the golden age | pu
1895_births 1971_deaths 20th-century_American_male_actors American_buskers American_crooners American_jazz_singers American_male_voice_actors American_pop_singers American_ukulele_players Burials_at_Valhalla_Memorial_Park_Cemetery Male_actors_from_St._Louis,_Missouri People_from_Hannibal,_Missouri RCA_Victor_artists Torch_singers Vaudeville_performers