The author and composer of SLIDE KELLY SLIDE was a very popular Irish-American Vaudeville performer by the name of J. W. Kelly (real name John Walter Shields). Kelly was born in Philadelphia in 1857. Initially he trained as a telegraphist but later went to work in the steel mills of Pa and Ill. He made good capitol of these experiences in his songs like MOLONEY THE ROLLING MILL MAN. He was highly regarded for his extempore monologues as well as his songs. Kelly was also a friend of baseballer Michael "King" Kelly and the song which bore his name (but was not about him) was inspired by a chant taken up by "King" Kelly fans during his tenure with the Boston Nationals in 1887.The song is often confused with another song with the same title - which is actually a Minstrel song