His very early days were spent in Oswego, N. Y., but soon with his family moved to Washington, D. C., where he made his first professional appearance with Joe Sweeney’s Minstrels about 1858. From 1860 to 1864 he played chiefly in the music halls; in that year he joined Robert’s and Wilson’s Minstrels; also in 1864 he was with Sanderson’s Minstrels. His first prominent minstrel engagement was with Newcomb and Arlington in 1866. December 3, 1866, he made his initial New York appearance at Pastor’s Theatre. In 1867 he joined Newcomb’s Minstrels, and continued with them (barring a brief interval when he was with Spalding and Bidwell) until the organization of his own company, June, 1868, when Emerson, Allen and Manning’s Minstrels gave their initial performance in Brooklyn, N. Y. May 22, 1869, Johnny Allen withdrew, and the company continued as Emerson and Manning’s Minstrels until January, 1870, when the two partners separated. February 11, 1870, the first performance of Emerson’s Minstrels was given, and on November 23, same year, he made his bow under the astute management of Tom Maguire, in San Francisco, the city which to this day reveres the memory of Billy Emerson. Later the company moved to the Alhambra, and after a trip East, he returned and the name was changed to Emerson’s Minstrels. May 12, 1873, with his company, he sailed for Australia, opening at Melbourne, August 2; subsequently Mr. Emerson made two other trips to the Antipodes. On January 14, 1878, he took the management of the Olympic Theatre, New York, installing his company; the engagement was a brief one, and on the following February 28, in conjunction with Smith, Waldron, Lester and Allen, “Emerson and the Big Four Minstrels” were organized and traveled for several months. In Chicago, June 30, 1879, with R. M. Hooley, the famous Megatherian Minstrels gave their first performance, and continued for a season. Mr. Emerson was a member of Haverly’s Minstrels when they opened in London, England, July 31, 1880. San Francisco welcomed its idol on October 17, 1881, when Emerson’s Minstrels opened at the Standard Theatre, and remained until the Spring of 1884. Later he was with the Haverly-Cleveland Minstrels, and afterwards the Cleveland organization. April 2, 1888, he became an equal partner with Frank McNish and Carroll Johnson with McNish, Johnson and Slavin’s Minstrels, owing to the indisposition of Bob Slavin, who was not appearing with the company. August 6, 1888, he again opened in San Francisco with Emerson’s Minstrels. In the Summer of 1898 he was with the Wilson-Cleveland Minstrels a few weeks, and then played an engagement with William H. West’s Minstrels. Emerson’s career practically ended with this company. Let us think of him only for his neat songs and dances, of which he was one of the pioneers, and in which he never had an equal.