AN AMERICAN MUSICIAN
The three Chappelle brothers were slaves in rural South Carolina until after the Civil War, when the local economy (severely disrupted by war and all the men lost to it) finally collapsed. The brothers took their families and sought construction work in the booming Florida town of Jacksonville, which had been held by a Union garrison throughout the war and attracted a community of free black people. Pat Chappelle was born January 1869, in the LaVilla section.
Although not a prodigy, Pat had musical talent for the piano and banjo; he left school after the fourth grade to join a string band. He was soon employed by B. F. Keith, who was forming an agency for signing variety acts to appear at museums and theatres in Boston and New York. Keith was one of the originators of America's vaudeville circuits, and we may surely assume Chappelle closely observed how talent was scouted and shows were developed over the dozen years they were associated.
In 1898, Chappelle returned to Jacksonville. He bought a pool-hall and turned it into a theatre. He organized the 'Famous Imperial Minstrels' travelling show, featuring comedians, dancers, and musical acts (both black and white); it often appeared at his theatre. But after a dispute with the pool-hall's landlord, in 1899 Pat moved his business to Tampa, where he opened several new venues.
In 1900, Chappelle and his partners launched a new troupe to put on the variety show "A Rabbit's Foot," hiring established colored performers and touring four southern states from private train-cars. They performed in theatres in cities and under tents at smaller places. By their third season, they were the dominant (but not the only) African-American vaudeville business, employing 75 performers for a three-month season each year. And Pat claimed to have "accomplished what no other Negro has done - he has successfully run a Negro show without the help of a single white man."
The Rabbit's Foot business continued to grow, soon deploying several African-American companies touring at the same time over a circuit which enccmpassed a third of the country, including New York, Boston, and Washington. Shows now featured a parade to the theatre whenever a company arrived in a town, and an all-black baseball team which played the local teams at each stop. He launched the "Funny-Folks Comedy Company", featuring comedians and playing in tents in smaller villages.   Even though the budget for each troupe grew each year, Chappele's profits let him invest in commercial buildings and apartments - mostly around Jacksonville.
In 1910, Chappelle announced he was retiring from business due to health issues. His brothers continued to operate the Rabbit's Foot businesses, and Pat moved to Georgia.   With his wife, Rosa, he travelled in Europe and attended the coronation of King George V. He died in late 1911 - just 42 years old - and his business was sold to white entrepreneur Fred Wolcott.
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