Chauncey olcott biography
Chauncey Olcott, born John Chancellor Olcott and often spelled Chauncey Alcott, was an American stage actor, songwriter and singer of Irish descent.!
Life.Chauncey Olcott
One very famous person with family ties to Niagara County was Chancellor John Olcott, more commonly known as Chauncey Olcott. He was known throughout the music world for his contributions as a composer, singer, and actor.
Olcott�s musical career actually began when he was very young.
Chauncey Olcott�s mother was born in Ireland and came to America and he later described his home in Lockport as �an Irish shanty� on the banks of the Erie Canal.
Chauncey Olcott was born in Buffalo, New York on July 21, After being educated at the Christian Brothers school, Olcott moved to London to study voice.
The �Irish shanty� was located on the West Genesee Street next to the Clifford Lumber Company lumberyard. Some Lockport residents recalled times when Chauncey was hoisted onto a table at the Washington Hose firehouse on Church Street where he would sing Irish ballads.
After the death of his father, his mother remarried and the family moved to Buffalo where Chauncey attended public school. His maternal grandmother continued to live in the �Irish shanty� on West Genesee Street where Olcott would spend his summer vacation