Articles
on Other Pioneer Recording Artists
CAL
STEWART'S RECORDING CONTRACTS
At a time when most studio performers worked for modest flat
fees, Cal Stewart's demand that he be paid royalties on sales
of his "Uncle Josh" records was revolutionary.
BOB
ROBERTS
The son of a prominent mime-turned-theatrical producer, Robert
A. "Bob" Roberts recorded prolifically for a decade before
heading West, where he found fame on the California vaudeville
circuits.
GEMS
FROM JACK KAUFMAN’S PERSONAL SCRAPBOOK
A collection of rare Kaufman Brothers photos, memorabilia,
and previously unpublished photos from Jack Kaufman's personal
scrapbook — courtesy of the legendary Philip "Road Mangler"
Kaufman, the third (and undoubtedly most colorful) generation
of Kaufmans to work in the music business.
THE
KAUFMAN BROTHERS: A PREHISTORY OF PHIL, JACK, AND IRVING
The Kaufman Brothers were a hit in vaudeville long before
they made their first records. This article examines their
early history in light of newly discovered information from
Jack Kaufman's personal scrapbooks, and other rare primary-source
materials.
A
PREHISTORY OF ADA JONES (1889–1905)
Before her fame as a recording star, Ada Jones was singing
in Broadway flops and seedy dime museums, where she shared
billing with the likes of "The Eight Fat Women"
and "Signor Monstrom’s Troupe of Boxing Monkeys."
This article chronicles her stage career and earliest known
recordings.
EVERYMAN'S
McCORMACK: A JOHN STEEL BIO-DISCOGRAPHY
John Steel was no John McCormack, despite his efforts to emulate
the legendary Irish tenor. But he was a colorful character,
an amateur boxer, and a major stage star of the 1920s whose
story is finally emerging.
THE
ARTHUR FIELDS SONG SHOP AND ARTHUR FIELDS MELODY RECORDS
In 1923 Arthur Fields opened his own music store and contracted
with the ill-fated John Fletcher to produce his own record
label. As with most Fletcher ventures, it was not a success.
ARTHUR
FIELDS BLUE AMBEROL CYLINDEROGRAPHY
First in a new series of cylinderographies devoted to early
studio artists, from the original Edison file data and other
primary-source materials.
ADA
JONES BLUE AMBEROL CYLINDEROGRAPHY
From the original Edison National Historic Site file data
and other primary-source materials.
VICTOR’S
SINGING EXECUTIVE: HARRY MACDONOUGH
Record buyers probably had no idea that singing for the phonograph
was a part-time career for Harry Macdonough. In real life,
Macdonough was John S. Macdonald, a Canadian expatriate and
important Victor Talking Machine Company executive who worked
his way up from assistant studio manager to A&R director and
vice-president for sales.
THE
SCANLAN SCANDAL: THE REST OF THE WALTER VAN BRUNT STORY
Walter Van Brunt's reinvention as 'Walter Scanlan' launched
his rise to fame in the theatrical world — that is,
until Mrs. Van Brunt got wind of Mrs. Scanlan. The resulting
trial made national headlines, with the judge threatening
to jail Van Brunt, and might have hastened the end of his
successful New York run.
A
HISTORY OF THE AVON COMEDY FOUR
The legendary vaudeville team of Smith & Dale scrambled their
way from Bowery saloons to top billing in America's and England's
premier theaters as front-men for the Avon Comedy Four. Irving
Kaufman, Arthur Fields, and Eddie Miller were among the well-known
supporting members who came and went during the act's long
career.
STEVE
PORTER, GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR
Stephen Carl Porter was hardly the dimwitted "rube"
he liked to portray on records. From his pioneering work as
a studio engineer in India to his successful Port-O-Phone
hearing-aid business, Porter was an ambitious, globe-trotting
entrepreneur to whom record-making was largely a sideline.
THE
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