Diamond ted lewis biography

Ted Lewis was born Theodore Leopold Friedman on June 6, 1890 at 132 West Main Street, Circleville, Ohio. He was one of five sons.  His parents, Benjamin and Pauline Friedman, owned Friedman’s Bazaar at 121-123 West Main Street, an emporium that supplied the womenfolk of Pickaway County with the latest fashions.

From earliest childhood, young Theodore was less than enthusiastic about ladies’ wear.  His earliest employment consisted of “sweeping up” both inside and outside the Friedman store and delivering packages.  According to Ted in one of his writings, at about nine years of age he began playing on a piccolo, because his fingers were too small to reach and play a clarinet.

 German music teacher was his teacher and conductor of the Circleville Cadet Band in which Ted played the piccolo and then E-flat clarinet.He later mowed lawns to earn money to buy an E-flat clarinet.  

Unbeknownst to the bandmaster, he had been taking less