By his early teens, Cantor began winning talent contests at local theaters and started appearing on stage. One of his earliest paying jobs was doubling as a waiter and performer, singing for tips at Carey Walsh's Coney Island saloon, where a young Jimmy Durante accompanied him on piano. He made his first public appearance in Vaudeville in 1907 at New York's Clinton Music Hall. In 1912, he was the only performer over the age of 20 to appear in Gus Edwards's "Kid Kabaret", where he created his first blackface character, "Jefferson". He later toured with Al Lee as the team "Cantor and Lee". Critical praise from that show got the attention of Broadway's top producer, Florenz Ziegfeld, who gave Cantor a spot in the Ziegfeld rooftop post-show, "Midnight Frolic" (1917). A year later, Cantor made his Broadway debut in the "Ziegfeld Follies of 1917". He continued in the "Follies" until 1927,<ref name=bway>"Eddie Cantor Broadway Credits" Internet Broadway database listing, retrieved December 24, 2009</ref> a period considered the best years of the long-running revue. For several years, Cantor co-starred in an act with pioneer comedian Bert Williams, both appearing in blackface; Cantor played Williams's fresh-talking son. Other co-stars with Cantor during his time in the "Follies" included Will Rogers, Marilyn Miller, Fanny Brice, and W.C. Fields.<ref>Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald. "Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers" (2007). Routledge. 193</ref> He moved on to stardom in book musicals, starting with "Kid Boots" (1923) and "Whoopee!" (1928). On tour with "Banjo Eyes", he romanced the unknown Jacqueline Susann, who had a small part in the show, and went on to become the best-selling author of "Valley of the Dolls". Cantor appeared on radio as early as February 3, 1922, as indicated by this news item from Connecticut's "Bridgeport Telegram":  Cantor's appearance with Rudy Vallee on Vallee's "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" on February 5, 1931 led to a four-week tryout with NBC's "The Chase and Sanborn Hour".