Willie Faucet is a melancholic Black man living in Harlem. He sells newspapers and magazines for a living, and he spends his days singing sad blues songs to himself. He has a majestic tenor voice. One day, Pierre Lebon, an entertainer, is in Willie’s apartment building, striking up business with the landlord, when he hears Willie sing. He contracts Willie to perform in his vaudeville shows, convinced that Willie will be the next big thing. Willie is hesitant: he doesn’t want money nor an audience, but he agrees. At first, everyone is mesmerized by the depth of Willie’s sadness. But one day, Willie’s good fortune makes him happy, which causes him to lose his spark in front of the audience. He finishes out his contract with Lebon and finds himself back in Harlem and poor once more, making him sad again. A passerby hears Willie sings and tells himself that Willie would be an absolute sensation on the stage.