Chaplin was named after his father, a British music-hall entertainer. He spent his early childhood with his mother, a singer, after she and his father separated, and he made his own stage debut at age five, filling in for his mother. Charlie and his half brother Sydney were sent to a series of residential schools. Using his mother's show-business contacts, Charlie became a professional entertainer in 1897 when he joined the Eight Lancashire Lads. His subsequent stage appearances include a small role in Sherlock Holmes (1899). In 1908 he joined the Fred Karno pantomime troupe, quickly becoming a famous star. While touring the USA in 1913, Chaplin was signed to appear in some comedy films. Though his first appearance was not successful, it did show him the way. Later, he made himself an outfit consisting of a too-small coat, too-large pants, and floppy shoes. It was in his second film that he made his name as an immortal character, and "the Little Tramp" was born.