He was born on November 28, 1815, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Robert F. Christy and Ruth Wheaton. He toured upstate New York from 1843 to 1845. The group took the name of its founder and became known as the
Christy's Minstrels. In April 1846 Christy and his band of six performers began performing in
New York City at
Polmer's Opera House. The group performed at
Mechanics Hall from February 15, 1847, to July 15, 1854. After performing at a benefit performance for
Stephen Foster in
Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 25, 1847, the group specialized in performances of Foster's works. Foster sold his song,
Old Folks at Home, to Christy for his exclusive use. Christy retired as a performer in 1855. He was buried in
Green-Wood Cemetery in
Brooklyn, New York. His oral
last will and testament that was made while hospitalized was declared void by the
surrogate court when it ruled that there were no witnesses, other than the person providing the testimony. In 1881 his widow died and her will was contested. ==Legacy==