CLICK START ON PLAYER TO LISTEN
TO SONG RECORDING OF ACTUAL RECORD
“STUMBLING"
CLICK START ON PLAYER TO LISTEN
TO SONG RECORDING OF ACTUAL RECORD
“COO-COO"
CHARLES HARRISON
ZONOPHONE RECORD
3440
2. COO-COO - CHARLES HARRISON TENOR WITH ORCHESTRA (AL JOLSON, B, G. DE SYLVA)
10" RECORD IN VERY GOOD CONDITION
SPEED 78 RPM
Billy Murray
William Thomas Murray (May 25, 1877 – August 17, 1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early 20th century. While he received star billing in vaudeville, he was best known for his prolific work in the recording studio, making records for almost every record label of the era.
Life and career
Billy Murray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Patrick and Julia (Kelleher) Murray, immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland. His parents moved to Denver, Colorado in 1882, where he grew up. He became fascinated with the theater and joined a traveling vaudeville troupe in 1893. He also performed in minstrel shows early in his career. In 1897 Murray made his first recordings for Peter Bacigalupi, the owner of a phonograph company in San Francisco. As of 2010 none of Murray's cylinder records with Bacigalupi are known to have survived. In 1903, he started recording regularly in the New York City and New Jersey area, where major record companies in the U.S. as well as the Tin Pan Alley music industry were concentrated.
In 1906, he recorded the first of his popular duets with Ada Jones. He also performed with Aileen Stanley, the Haydn Quartet, the American Quartet (also known as the Premier Quartet), and Elsie Baker; as well as performed solo work.
Nicknamed "The Denver Nightingale", Murray had a strong tenor voice with excellent enunciation and a conversational delivery compared with bel canto singers of the era. On comic songs, he often deliberately sang slightly flat, which he felt helped the comic effect. Although he often performed romantic numbers and ballads which sold well, his comedy and novelty song recordings continue to be popular with later generations of record collectors.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OTHER LISTINGS AND SIGN UP FOR trades78 FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER. ITEMS CAN BE HELD FOR UP TO 30 DAYS TO ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES AND COMBINED POSTAGE. NEW LISTINGS EACH WEEK