The Edison Files: George Wilton Ballard

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at an early recording artist I have in my collection.

George Wilton Ballard (1887-1950) was one of Edison's most popular tenors. He began recording in 1910 on US Everlasting cylinders. His first performance for Edison was released in 1914 on Blue Amberol cyliner #2150. Subsequent performances were released on about 70 cylinders and a similar number of Diamond Discs. He retired from studio work in 1923. His last Edison recording released in 1926 was recorded several years before its release. Ballard teamed up with singer Helen Clark to record some very memorable duets.

To listen to recordings by George Wilton Ballard, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Lyric Male Quartet (Shannon Four)

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at an early recording artist I have in my collection.

Lyric Male Quartet. Victor's popular Shannon Four, which began recording in mid-1917 and consisted of Charles Hart, Harvey Hindermyer, Elliott Shaw, and Wilfred Glenn. The first Shannon Four disc was issued in September 1917: "I May Be Gone For A Long, Long Time," followed in October by "Wake Up, Virginia." Some discs were credited to "Charles Hart and the Shannon Four," such as two titles issued in May 1918: "A Little Bit of Sunshine" and "The Last Long Mile." The quartet also recorded for Edison Records, sometimes being called Lyric Male Quartet.

To listen to recordings by the Lyric Male Quartet (Shannon Four), or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Sibyl Sanderson

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at an early recording artist I have in my collection.

Sibyl Sanderson was a famous American operatic soprano during the Parisian Belle Epoque. She was born on December 7, 1864 in Sacramento, California. Her father, Silas Sanderson, was once Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California. After his death in 1886, Sibyl and her mother moved to Paris and became transplanted socialites. Sanderson proved to be a remarkably gifted singer and began to appear on stage. She was Jules Massenet's favorite soprano and appeared in the premieres of a number of his operas. Sanderson was also admired by Camille Saint-Saens, who wrote the title role in Phryne' for her. Success outside of Paris was elusive for Sanderson; she appeared at Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera (debut in title role of Manon on January 16, 1895, the last performance as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette on December 31, 1901) to lackluster reviews. In 1896 she married a Cuban millionaire and sugar heir, Antonio Terry, after which she temporarily halted her operatic activity, making an unsuccessful comeback two years later. Her last years were marred by depression, alcoholism and illness and she died from pneumonia on May 16, 1903 at the age of 38.

To listen to recordings by Sibyl Sanderson, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California and Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Lewis James

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Lewis James was a vocalist and among the most active of recording artists in the United States from 1917 through much of the 1930s. He was a member of the The Shannon Four, The Revelers and the Criterion Trio. He had many top ten hits during that time, including My Baby Boy, Till We Meet Again, What'll I Do and Pal of my Cradle Days, among others. He died in 1959.

Lewis James was born in Dexter, Michigan on July 29, 1892. He recorded extensively as a soloist,duet partner, and quartet lead singer. His first recording with the Shannon Four (aka the Shannon Quartet) was the World War I chestnut, "All Aboard For Home Sweet Home." Like many of his colleagues, he proved exceedingly versatile in recording love ballads, hymns, children's songs and the more sophisticated early jazz harmonies of the Revelers with whom he made several successful European tours. The Shannon Four, Revelers, Crescent Trio, and Merrymakers consisted mostly of the same singers, with occasional substitutes. His sweet melodic tenor is immortalized on Victor, Columbia, and Edison recordings, mostly from 1917 through 1927.

To listen to recordings by Lewis James, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Ernest L. Stevens Trio

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Ernest L. Stevens Trio. Ernest Stevens was Thomas Edison's personal pianist-arranger from 1922 to 1924 when Edison was experimenting with recording sounds and making recordings on wax cylinders. Stevens, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on December 15, 1894, was involved with music until his death in Montclair, New Jersey on April 6, 1981. His basic musical training was in Plainfield, New Jersey, with Howard Case. A study of the pipe organ was with the well-known Mark Andrews (who made many pipe organ recordings) in Montclair, New Jersey. From 1917 to 1919 he made piano rolls for Aeolian, Piano Style, Gulbransen and Rose Valley companies. In 1919 he began making test records for the Edison Studios in West Orange. Mr. Edison hired Ernest to be his personal pianist in testing for the proper procedure to record on cylinders. His test records were used to evaluate placement of instruments relative to the recording horn. He was a prolific Edison recording artist, appearing on the Edison label as solo pianist, a member of his own trio and dance quartet and was the leader of his own dance orchestra. Records for Edison were under pseudonyms.

To listen to recordings by Ernest L. Stevens Trio, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Anna Case

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Anna Case was an American soprano born on October 29, 1888. She recorded with Thomas Edison, who used her voice extensively in "tone tests" of whether a live audience could tell the difference between the actual singer and a recording. She also made recordings for Diamond Records, RCA Victor, Vitaphone and Columbia Records. She was born on October 29, 1888 in Clinton, New Jersey. She sang in the American premiere of Boris Gudonov in 1913 at the Metropolitan Opera. She retired in 1930. In 1931 she married ITT Corporation executive Clarence Mackay. She died on January 7, 1984 in New York City and left her 167.97-carat (33.59 g) Colombian emerald ring and Boucheron necklace to the Smithsonian Institution.

To hear recordings by Anna Case, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Edna White

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Edna White. A native of Stamford, Connecticut born in 1892, Edna White Chandler was an american trumpeter, with a long career onstage and as a soloist with bands and orchestras. She had a vaudeville act with her second husband, and in the 1930s also sang in musicals. White was a prodigy, noticed by Frank Damrosch, who invited her to study at the Institute of Musical Arts (later the Juilliard School), where she graduated at age 15; she then toured the vaudeville circuit with a female ensemble (two trumpets, two trombones). The opening ceremony in March 1915 of the first transcontinental telephone transmission (Brooklyn to San Francisco) was enlivened by her performance of "Silver Threads among the Gold." In the 1930s she was on the radio, and on Feb.9,1949 she gave a recital at Carnegie Hall.

Edna retired in 1957, although she continued to mentor young trumpeters and was occasionally interviewed in the popular press and for trumpet-oriented publications. White began to record with the Edna White Trumpet Quartet in 1918, for Columbia, doing first "Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight". She continued with Columbia to 1921. Her first Edison discs (Dec.15,1920) were "The Debutante" and "Recollections of 1861--1865". She made eight more Edisons, the final one in September 1926: "Sweet Genevieve". During this period, she was married to vocalist Torcum Bezazian, who appeared on some of her recordings and toured with her on the vaudeville circuit. In 1980 Merritt Sound Recordings of Buffalo, New York, issued the cassette Life with My Trumpet, featuring some of her early recordings and White reminiscing about her career, recorded at that time (a copy is held by the Library of Congress).

Edna White Chandler died on June 25, 1992.

To listen to recordings by Edna White, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Ford Hawaiians

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Ford Hawaiians Henry Kailimai, was a virtuoso ukelele player and composer who came from Hawaii in 1915 to perform at the Pan Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. The performances by him and other Hawaiian musicians exposed the public to Hawaiian music for the first time, fueling the exploding popularity of Hawaiian music on the mainland. Attending the exposition was Henry Ford, and he was so impressed with Henry Kailimai that he persuaded him and four other Hawaiian musicians to move to Detroit, Michigan to be artists in residence for the Ford Motor Company. Because of Henry Ford’s friendship with Thomas Edison, the group traveled to New York and made several recordings at The Edison Recording Studio, using Edison’s new phonograph invention, which he was perfecting at the time. Kailimai was a professional pianist by night, and an engineer by day. His career was curtailed due to the wishes of his wife, who didn’t want him to go on the road.

To listen to recordings of Ford Hawaiians, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Váša Příhoda

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Váša Příhoda, born August 22, 1900, was a famous Czech violinist known for the perfection of his technique and the beauty of his tone. He was considered a Paganini specialist, and his recording of the Violin Concerto in A minor by Dvorak is still very highly praised. His artistry was controversial, and tended to polarise listeners. His first public performance was at age 13. At age 19 a tour of Italy proved unsuccessful; poverty-stricken, he joined the orchestra of the Café Grand’Italia in Milan to earn money. There he was heard by chance by Arturo Toscanini, who arranged a benefit concert for him. He then resumed his Italian tour, this time to great success. He was said to have been given Niccolo Paganini's own violin on which to play. He toured Brazil and the United States in 1920 and the USA again in 1921. He once shared the stage of the Royal Albert Hall with Pablo Casals. Příhoda concertized extensively all over the world and made a number of recordings when the industry was in its infancy. Unfortunately, some of his recordings were not well-produced so the sound quality is poor. But, he was greatly admired for his style, dazzling technique, and finesse. He appeared in two films in 1936: Between Two Worlds and Die Liebe des Maharadscha. During World War II, he taught at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Because he continued to perform in Germany and German-occupied territories after the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, he was briefly charged with collaboration after the war, and censured by the Czech government. He later taught at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna. In later years, he dedicated most of his time to teaching and composing small chamber works. His last concert was in April 1960. He died on July 26, 1960.

To listen to recordings made by Vasa Prihoda, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: Walter Van Brunt

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.

Walter Van Brunt, said to have been Thomas Edison’s favorite tenor, began his recording career at the age of 17. Recording and performing with such giants of his era as Billy Murray,  Ada Jones, the American Quartet and John Bieling, Van Brunt had 40 hits on the pop charts including ‘When I Dream in the Gloaming of You’ (#3, 1909), ‘It’s Hard to Kiss Your Sweetheart (When the Last Kiss Means Good-Bye)’ (#2, 1910), ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ (#2, 1911), ‘Don’t Wake Me Up, I’m Dreaming’ (#3, 1911), ‘That Was Before I Met You’ (#3, 1911), ‘I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl that Married Dear Old Dad’ (#2, 1911), ‘Ghost of the Violin’ (#3, 1913), ‘Sympathy' with Helen Clark, #1, 1913), ‘And the Green Grass Grew All Around’ (#4, 1913) and ‘I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen’ (#3, 1916). Van Brunt also appeared in vaudeville sketches and Broadway productions including Eileen and was featured in radio programs with Billy Murray from 1929 through 1933.

To listen to the recordings of Walter Van Brunt, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Edison Files: The American Quartet

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. No one knows for sure who the very first recording artist was. Here is a look at the early recording artists I have in my collection.,

The American Quartet, a highly successful vocal group with 12 number one hits during the 1910’s and ’20’s, was formed in 1909 and recorded together for over 15 years. Its original lineup consisted of tenor Billy Murray (the featured soloist), tenor John Bieling, baritone Steve Porter and bass William F. Hooley. Journalist Jim Walsh wrote in the 1970 February issue of Hobbies magazine that "For several years [Murray] had been singing frequently on Victor records with the assistance of the Haydn Quartet, but now it was decided there was a need for a foursome in which he would star. So John Bieling and Hooley were borrowed from the Haydn Quartet (in which, however, they continued to sing) and Porter was brought in from the Peerless, where he had been singing baritone." Bieling left in 1914 and was replaced by John Young. When Hooley died in late 1918, he was succeeded by Donald Chalmers.

In 1920, a revamped American Quartet featured Murray, Albert Campbell, John Meyer and Frank Croxton. While the individual members, particularly Murray, enjoyed solo success, the quartet is responsible for some of the most successful recordings of its day including the #1 hit songs ‘Casey Jones’ (1910), ‘Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon’ (1910 with Ada Jones), ‘Come Josephine in My Flying Machine’ (1911 with Ada Jones), ‘Oh, You Beautiful Doll’ (1911), ‘Moonlight Bay’ (1912), ‘Everybody Two-Step’ (1912), ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ (1914), ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary’ (1914), ‘Chinatown, My Chinatown’ (1915), ‘Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!’ (1917), ‘Over There’ (1917) and ‘Good-Bye Broadway, Hello France’ (1917). In total, American Quartet had over 65 top ten hits from 1910 through 1924 and is listed as #16 on the list of most #1 singles from 1890-1954.

The group disbanded in 1925.

To listen to recordings by The American Quartet, or other early recording artists, visit the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara.