Council Bluffs author Dan Henderson will be visiting two southwest Iowa towns this week to discuss his new book, “Rhythm and Pep: The Vaudeville Career of the Pearson Brothers.”
The book highlights both local history and a significant period in American entertainment by tracing the unlikely rise of Earl and Lester Pearson, who hailed from Clarinda.
The brothers grew up working in their father’s coal mine just west of the town before achieving coast-to-coast fame in vaudeville starting in 1918, which even included a performance for President Woodrow Wilson.
Henderson hopes to illustrate the vital role Iowa communities played in shaping early American entertainment.
